The Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed Mr. Akan Udofia as the duly nominated All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom State.
A former Presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, had sought to nullify Mr. Akan Udofia’s nomination as the Governorship candidate of the party in the state.
Senator Enang had prayed the Court to declare him as the authentic governorship flagbearer of the party on the ground that Mr. Udofia was not an APC member as of 27th May, 2022 when the party conducted the governorship primary.
But delivering judgement on Tuesday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, held that Mr. Udofia was a bona fide member of the APC when it held the primary election.
Ms Kekere-Ekun said a political party has the “prerogative” to grant anyone membership waivers.
“I am in full agreement with the lower Court that the 1st respondent (Mr. Udofia) was a member of the 2nd respondent (APC) when he contested for the primary, and that the issue of a waiver is an internal affair of a party which the court cannot inquire into,” Ms Kekere-Ekun said.
The Justice after affirming Mr. Udofia’s candidacy further held that Mr. Enang’s case has collapsed.
Having held that the 1st respondent duly participated in the primary election, the foundation of the appellant case collapsed.
“The appeal, in my view, was rightly dismissed by the lower Court,” Ms Kekere-Ekun said.