‘Why Umo Eno remains PDP governorship candidate in A/Ibom’

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not replaced Umo Eno as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, his lawyer, Uwemedimo Nwoko has said.

A member of the House of Representatives from Uyo federal constituency, Michael Enyong has obtained a judgment from a federal high court in Abuja that he is the PDP governorship candidate for the March 11 election.

Nwoko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who was reacting to reports that Umo Eno has been replaced as the governorship candidate of the PDP following a federal high court judgment obtained by a member of the House of Representatives from Uyo federal constituency, Michael Enyong which recognised him as the party’s candidate maintained that it was difficult for INEC to do so since Umo Eno has filed a stay of order application at the court of appeal in Abuja.

Nwoko, a former Attorney General in Akwa Ibom State, and Head of the legal team of Umo Eno members of the public to what he observed as series of misinformation peddled on the social media platforms adding that “there is a pending motion before a Federal High Court in Abuja by Umo Eno and at the Appeal Court by PDP, for stay of execution over the court judgment.”

According to him, the decision of the federal high court cannot be effected until the pending motions are dispensed.

“He has not gotten the courage to present the judgment to INEC up till now. Even if he approaches INEC, it will not be executed. PDP through its representative, Paul Usoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had filed a stay of execution. There is a stay of execution motion at the Court of Appeal. Mike Enyong is not and cannot be a candidate of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, because the purported judgment he has is not valid adding that “the judgment he is holding was obtained by fraud.”

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“As of yesterday, I took time to access the INEC website and I visited their office in Abuja. These documents, which I printed out in colour form, were downloaded from the INEC website yesterday.

“Mike Enyong claims that he obtained judgment from the Federal High Court Abuja and that the judgment now makes him a candidate of the PDP. Let me state here that the judgment which was obtained by fraud and which he has carefully refused to bring to the public, does not in any way tamper with the candidacy of Umo Bassey Eno”.

He alleged that Enyong has been hiding and has yet to present the judgment he obtained from the court to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“I was at INEC headquarters on Friday, they have not received any letter from him. He has not written to INEC or even attempted to present that judgement or ask INEC to substitute his name with Umo Eno’s.

“It is on record that the PDP gubernatorial primaries took place on the 25th of May 2022 and Enyong filed the case on 1st August of the same year, 69 days after the event took place.”

Nwoko alleged that the purported suit, FHC ABJ CS 12952022 which the Plaintiff refused to join Umo Eno was based on “forged documents, including forged result sheets carrying the forged signatures of National Chairman of PDP, the National Secretary, the National organising secretary and the returning officer.”

“Take note that this will not be the first time Enyong has filed a case on this matter. Precisely on 7th June 2022, the Plaintiff had filed a suit (FHC ABJ CS 8202022) in a Federal High Court in Abuja joining Umo Eno as a second defendant but he withdrew this suit knowing it will be a failed endeavour.

To further discredit the judgment, Nwoko stated that Enyong did not serve the PDP that he joined in the suit while filing it, and according to order 14 and rule 10 of the Federal High Court, lack of Service, lack of Jurisdiction and fraud are the core basis cases like his are always set aside adding that the Police have been alerted on these alleged “multiple forgeries and fraud.”