The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has dismissed the petitions brought forward by Senator John Udoedehe, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the state. Udoedehe had contested the declaration of Umo Éno of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the state governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his arguments, Udoedehe claimed that Eno had been declared a convict by the Wuse Magistrate Court in Abuja, which he argued disqualified him from contesting the March 18, 2023 governorship election. He requested that the Tribunal cancel the election and order a fresh one within 90 days.
Udoedehe also alleged that the governor was born in Enugu State, although he did not provide proof of this claim, as he neither presented nor relied on any document to support it.
However, the panel, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, delivered a unanimous decision on Wednesday, dismissing the petition on the grounds that it lacked merit.
In response to the judgment, Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem, counsel to the PDP, expressed agreement with the position of the law. He noted that the petitioners failed to demonstrate that Eno did not meet the constitutional entry requirements for the office of the governor. Additionally, he pointed out that many of their claims were pre-election matters that they could not substantiate.