Ita Enang, a former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, has rejected pleas from the All Progressives Congress(APC) to withdraw a suit challenging the party’s governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State from the Supreme Court.
At a meeting convened by stalwarts of the party including Otu Ita Toyo, one time chairman of the party in the state and Effiong Etok, a chieftain of the party held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Ita Enang who contested the party’s governorship primaries alongside Akan Udofia who was declared the winner, turned down requests that the matter should be withdrawn from the Supreme Court.
Ita Enang maintained that he would not withdraw his appeal at the Supreme Court, and that pUdofia was member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sent to APC in case PDP fails to clinch the victory in the governorship election.
“These are things some of you don’t know. We should no longer be manipulated in this party. What I am saying is a statement of fact,” he said.
Presenting the various court judgments on the litigation involving himself, Akanimo Udofia and former aspirant, Augustine Utuk, Ita Enang pointed out that no court order had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Udofia as the candidate of the party.
“APC does not have a governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State,” he insisted.
He also pointed out that it was not the initial case filed by him at the Federal High Court in Uyo that made APC not to have a governorship candidate:
“INEC did not monitor the exercise. INEC in Akwa Ibom State wrote to INEC Abuja, that’s why we are where we are today. The Federal High Court ordered for fresh primaries but Udofia appealed the judgement, and I took it further to the Appeal Court. Why then should I be blamed for our predicament?’ he said.
According to him, the controversial primaries have weakened the party by triggering a mass exodus which has so far continued unabated.
Read also: Gbajabiamila faults Buhari’s ‘wanton’ disregard for Supreme Court order
He suggested that the Akanimo Udofia Campaign Organisation be changed to Akwa Ibom APC Governorship Campaign Organisation, pending when any of the aspirants shall be recognised as a governorship candidate.
Reiterating his loyalty to APC, he said that he has been campaigning for the APC Presidential candidate and every other candidate of the party recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He, however, advised the delegation to also prevail upon other camps in the party to embrace the need for genuine reconciliation and cooperation.
Earlier, Andrew Okon, a retired judge of the state high court and leader of the reconciliation meeting, had appealed to stakeholders to embrace peace and reconciliation ahead of the election which begins on Saturday.
He appealed to members to withdraw all pending court cases to enable the party go into the election as a united entity, adding that party leaders at the national level were eager to see a crisis-free APC in Akwa Ibom State.
Key stakeholders of the party including former governor Godswill Akpabio, former secretary to the Akwa Ibom State government, Umanah Okon Umamah and former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Commission (NDDC), were absent at the peace meeting.
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