Just a few days to the Nigeria general election, Michael Enoyong, the Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate who just emerged as the governorship candidate as a result of a court order obtained by a Federal High Court, has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
Once Enoyong was removed from office, the court ruled that Pastor Umo Eno, who had previously won the party’s primary, should have his mandate reinstated.
In addition, the court mandated that Enyong pay the appellant N1 million in costs.
On January 20, 2023, a Federal High Court issued an order ratifying Enyong, who reportedly won the party’s nomination in a factional primary held by some statutory party delegates at Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo.
The ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja was made on Tuesday as a result of the PDP’s rejection of the order in Akwa Ibom and nationally.
The Federal High Court’s decision was overturned by the court in the judgment written by Judge Hamma Barka because it was founded on mistakes.
Justice Barka conceded with Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, and Uwemedimo Nwoko, counsel for the PDP, that the Federal High Court judgment had been delivered incorrectly and that the plaintiff had misled the court to reach an unjust verdict, particularly with regard to the use of statutory delegates that 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.
Ref: punchng
