Pastor Umo Eno, Governor Udom Emmanuel’s preferred successor has emerged the winner of the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP held on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Akwa Ibom State.
Eno polled a total of 993 votes, out of the 1018 accredited delegates to beat 13 other contestants in the election held at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital.
Aniekan Etim scored 2 votes, Mike Enyong had 1 vote; Senator Bassey Albert (OBA) who earlier withdrew from the race scored 1 vote while Mr Akan Okon polled 3 votes.
Onofiok Luke who also withdrew from the race got 3 votes, Umoh Idorenyin James 2 votes while Mr. Ide Owodiong scored 1 vote.
The Akwa Ibom State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, alongside other officials of the Commission, were on hand to monitor the exercise in line with Constitutional provisions.
The Akwa Ibom PDP Governorship Primary Committee had Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, as Chairman while Edwards Ayo-Odugbesan served as Secretary. Other members of the 6-man Committee were Mamman Usman, Stephen Ibrahim, Barr K, Njoku and Mariam Bala.
Meanwhile, some of Umo Eno’s co-contestants had earlier pulled out of the contest citing a subsisting court order in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/606/22 at the Federal High Court Abuja where they claimed the Honourable Court ordered amongst others that it will be in the interest of justice for the parties to maintain status quo antebellum pending the hearing and determination of the suit and an Appeal by the party with the Court of Appeal, Abuja on May 19th, 2022 alongside an application for stay of order at the same Federal High Court, Abuja.
But, when the matter came up today (Wednesday), Counsel to the 2nd – 331st defendants, Uwemedimo Nwoko SAN, argued that the Status Quo Bellum advice by the court was misrepresented by the plaintiffs to mean an order of court to stop the primaries from holding.
The court agreed that it never stopped the primaries of the PDP in its order and urged the plaintiffs to go ahead with their arguments on the preliminary objections over jurisdiction and locus standi brought by the defendants.
Counsel to Plaintiff, Ahmed Raji also appealed for more time to study the preliminary objections filed by the defendants. The defendants raised no objection to his plea, after which the matter was adjourned to Wednesday, 1st of June, 2022 for further hearing.
With today’s victory, Pastor Umo Eno is expected to be issued his Certificate of Return and get set to fly the party’s flag in next year’s general election.
