Appeal Court Sacks PDP Governorship Candidate

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday sacked a House of Representatives member, Micheal Enyong, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Akwa Ibom State.

CityNews Nigeria reports that the appellate court also restored the candidacy a former Commissioner for Land, Pastor Umo Eno, whose nomination by the party was set aside by a Federal High Court in Abuja on January 20, 2023.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday evening, Justice Hamma Akawu Barka voided the judgment of the Federal High Court and set it aside on the ground that it was predicated on errors.

The judge ruled 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.

The appellate court held that 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.

Justice Barka also stated that only the National Working Committee (NWC) of a political party has the power to conduct primary elections for the purpose of nominating candidates for the general election.

The appellate court further held that since the lower court has no jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of PDP, the judge has no discretion in law to exercise in the matter.

Justice Barka thereafter upheld the appeal of the PDP and vacated all orders made by the Federal High Court in favour of Michael Enyong.

The Appeal Court ordered Enyong pay a sum of one million naira to the appellant as the cost of litigation.