Court sacks Akan Udofia as APC gov’ship candidate, orders fresh primary in 14 days

…. I will be on ballot as APC’s candidate for Akwa Ibom – Akan Udofia

Dennis Udoma, Uyo

The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital has disqualified the All Progressives Party (APC), governorship candidate for March 2023 election, on allegation of cross carpeting into the party from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) within 24 hours.

The governorship candidate, Bong Akan Udofia has assured his party supporters to be calm insisting that, he would be on the ballot for the election in 2023.

A statement issued by his campaign organization on Monday said, “I am assuring you all that, I will be on the ballot as Akwa Ibom APC governorship flag bearer”.

Delivering judgement on the matter, “FHC/UY/144/2022, the presiding Judge, Agather Okeke nullified the primary election and ordered a fresh primary to be conducted by the party within 14 days without the acclaimed winner, Akan Udofia”.

Akan Udofia won the May 26, 2022 governorship primary election conducted by the APC team from Abuja, monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a landslide victory of 2,227 votes to emerge winner against Senator Solomon Enang, who scored 38 votes to come second.

Aggrieved Enang, later approached the court to disqualify Bong Akan Udofia on grounds that, he was not a member of the party.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of APC had earlier approved Akan Udofia’s membership of the party by granting him waiver prior to the primary election where he emerged winner.

Akan Udofia, as learned by our reporter may appeal the judgement in an attempt to reclaim his mandate.

It would be recalled that Senator Enang approached the court after the primary alleging that Akan Udofia joined the party few days to the election, and prayed the court to declare him as the authentic candidate of APC.