Umo Eno’s election as Akwa Ibom governor is upheld by the Appeal Court

Two complaints against the election of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State were denied by the Lagos-based Appeal Court. The petitions were filed by Action Alliance and Accord Party candidates, Akpan Jeremiah and Emem Coffie, respectively.

On Friday, the three-member tribunal affirmed that Eno is still the governor of Akwa Ibom State, having been duly elected.

Emem Coffie, the Accord Party’s candidate for governor, had filed an appeal with the Appeal Court, requesting an overturning of the tribunal’s decision in his favour.

Kofie contended that he should be proclaimed the winner of the governorship because the other contenders were not eligible to run, through the assistance of his attorney, Chidi Nwachukwu.

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However, the appellants’ claims that 800 polling places had infractions were refuted by Paul Usoro, the governor’s counsel, Kolapo Kolade, the INEC’s counsel, and Mofesomo Oyetibo, the counsel. They said that neither the petitioners’ attempt to identify the 800 polling places nor their attempt to call witnesses from any of the aforementioned polling places was made.

The respondents also informed the court that the appellants’ sole witness was Emem Coffie, the gubernatorial candidate, who acknowledged that he was only in his polling place and that he left to go to his home on the designated day.

They said that the appellants’ petition was rejected by the tribunal because they had relied on “hearsay” in their actions.

Akpan Abraham of the Action Alliance and his party argued in their appeal that INEC had wrongfully disqualified them.

Nonetheless, the appellate court rejected the complaint as having no value and maintained the respondents’ positions in its ruling.