The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has sacked the Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Michael Enoyong, who recently emerged as the governorship candidate following a court order issued by a Federal High Court.
Following the sack of Enoyong, the court ordered the mandate of Pastor Umo Eno, who had earlier emerged as the winner of the primary conducted by the party, be restored.
The court in addition ordered Enyong to pay the sum of N1 million to the appellant as a cost.
Enyong, who was reported to have emerged as the candidate of the party in a factional primary conducted by some statutory delegates of the party in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, was ratified by the order of a Federal High Court on January 20, 2023.
PDP in Akwa Ibom and at the national level had rejected the order and immediately appealed it leading to the decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, the court voided the judgment of the Federal High Court on the grounds that it was predicated on errors.
Justice Barka agreed with counsel to the PDP, Mr Paul Usoro SAN,and Uwemedimo Nwoko that the Federal High Court judgment was delivered in error and that the court was misled by the plaintiff in the matter to arrive at an unjust conclusion, especially on the use of statutory delegates which the party had disqualified from the process.
The judge, held, “The issue of statutory delegates who voted at the primary election is an internal affair of the party and that the lower court ought not to have inquired into the issue.”
On that basis, the court sacked Enyong after his brief reign as the PDP governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State.
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