The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Akanimo Udofia, filed an appeal against Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno’s election victory, but the Supreme Court denied it.
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The highest court advised APC candidate counsel Hassan Liman to drop his appeal, citing factual and orderly findings from lower courts in his case.
Eno ran on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Court of Appeal in Lagos upheld his victory.
Every appeal against the governor’s election was rejected by the appellate court.
According to the appeal court, there was insufficient evidence to support the claims of certificate falsification.
The appeal court further declared that a court of law had quashed the accusations of criminal convictions against the governor.
Hassan Liman, the appellants’ attorney, filed an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision at the Supreme Court.
He insisted that the key point of contention was that the governor and his deputy governor had already been found guilty by several courts.
He contended that they were ineligible to challenge the polls under the constitution.
However, he acknowledged that the Magistrate Court in Abuja, rather than the Appeal Court, was allegedly the one to overturn their conviction.
The seven-member panel of the highest court, led by Justice Uwani Abaji-Aji, questioned the lawyer’s attendance at the hearing given that there was no appeal against the ruling that overturned the convictions.
As a matter of fact, Justice Emmanuel Agim informed Liman that he was wasting his time.
The highest court told the attorney, “You are a senior lawyer, do what is necessary,” noting that the governor was no longer a convict in the absence of an appeal.
Liman eventually withdrew the appeal in order to appease the judges.
“As a senior official of this court, I would want to express my gratitude to the court and accept its verdict.
Liman remarked, “I humbly apply to withdraw this appeal in the interest of justice.”
“This appeal, having been withdrawn without any objection, is hereby dismissed,” the apex court concluded.
The Young Progressive Party (YPP) and other parties’ appeal was likewise dismissed by the supreme court since it was identical to the APC’s.
