Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Fadehan Oyeyemi
Published on 2024-01-29 19:05:37
The Supreme Court dismissed the request for a review of the judgement that affirmed the election of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, delivering a setback to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia. The final verdict, which put an end to the legal battle in January 2024, was upheld by the apex court, rejecting the requests for a reversal.
During the proceedings, a lawyer, O.U. Orji, attempted to bring a motion for a review of the final verdict on behalf of APC and Udofia. However, sensing the mood of the justices, Orji then claimed he was holding a brief for another lawyer and expressed a desire to withdraw the case. Senior lawyers in court advised him to do the right thing, prompting him to apologize and apply for withdrawal of the motion.
In a brief ruling, Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji dismissed the motion with a serious warning to lawyers not to turn themselves into a laughingstock due to desperate politicians. The panel noted that there was nothing new in the appeal that required the court’s consideration and that the issues raised in the case had been effectively dealt with by the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court affirmed the judgements by the lower courts, which held that the appellants failed to establish their claims that Eno forged his West African Examination Council (WAEC) result and that he was an ex-convict.
Overall, the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the request for a review of the verdict affirmed the election of Governor Umo Eno and marked a setback for the APC and its governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia. Despite attempts to bring a motion for review, the court upheld the final verdict and cautioned lawyers against frivolous motions brought before the court.
