The Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo has commenced the pre-hearing of petitions challenging the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Pastor Umo Eno, as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship poll held in the state.
During the pre-hearing session on Friday, May 26, 2023, a three-member panel headed by Justice Adekunle Adeleye attended to the joint petitions of the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Obong Akanimo Udofia, and the Young Peoples Party and its candidate, Sen. Bassey Akpan.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the proceeding, the second respondent counsel, Usoro, SAN, said, “They (petitioners) have raised an issue on the qualification of Umo Eno. That is an issue that has been litigated at the Supreme Court.
“And we are saying this tribunal cannot sit as a trial Court to start looking at those issues again. It is something that has already been done. Such issue should be thrown out,” he said.
On his part, Falola, a YPP lawyer, simply responded, “They (the respondents) are challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal, and we have filed our responses. I don’t want to speak beyond that as the matter is already before the Tribunal.”
All the lead counsel for both the petitioners and the respondents were in The three-member panel adjourned the APC petition to June 5 and the YPP petition till today Saturday 27, 2023 for continuation of Pre-hearing.
