By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state may not have any candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial election as one the gubernatorial aspirants, Augustine Dominic Utuk has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the candidature of Akanimo Udofia.
Utuk also joined APC and Udofia who was purported to have won the party’s gubernatorial primary of May 27, 2022 by landslide, beating others including Utuk to the ticket.
Udofia, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC to pursue his governorship ambition
was declared the APC flagbearer in the early hour of Friday, May 27.
He polled a total of 1, 227 votes to beat seven other contestants including the immediate past Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Senator Ita Enang who scored 34 votes.
Others were Professor Chris Ekong, 21 votes; Uduak Udoh, 7 votes; Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, 2 votes; Richard Anana, 2 votes; Larry Esin,1 vote and Augustine Utuk, 0. There were 19 voided votes.
However, Utuk who scored zero vote in the purported primary has rushed to the Federal High Court in Uyo Judicial Division to institute a perpetual injunction against INEC, APC and Udofia in a Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/115/2022 which was filed by his lawyers Golden Tamuno Esq. of G.O Tamuno & Co.
Among Utuk’s prayers are for INEC not to accept Udofia’s nomination from APC Akwa Ibom chapter as the party’s governorship candidate.
He is also seeking a Declaration that Udofia is a member of the PDP and therefore ineligible and unqualified to present himself to contest for primary, convention and congress of APC for the purpose of contesting for the governorship election of the party among others.
Meanwhile, INEC documents obtained by Prompt News Online on the conduct of the party primary elections for the Governorship position in Akwa Ibom state showed that APC did not conduct Primary on May 29 hence the Commission returned no election verdict in the document submitted to the INEC Headquarters in Abuja.
For the above reasons, APC may not have a governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom in the forthcoming General Election.
