By Anthony Uwadiegwu
A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has adjourned the hearing on the 2023 Governorship candidacy of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River to Thursday, September 8, 2022.
The matter with suit number FHC/CA/CS/95/2022 is between Sen. John Enoh who is challenging the party’s candidate for the 2023 governorship elections, Sen. Bassey Otu.
Joined in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC as a party.
The matter is on the grounds of screening of aspirants for the primaries, academic certificates and APC screening committee clearance.
The matter which came up for hearing on Wednesday in the Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu-led court, saw the counsel to Enoh, Mr Awa Kalu (SAN) arguing why Otu should be disqualified.
He premised his argument on the fact that Otu was not properly screened to have participated in the primaries that produced him as a candidate.
“To be qualified to run for party primaries, the aspirants must be screened by the screening committee set up by the second defendant (APC) and cleared to run for party primaries, which is a major criterion for aspirants’ participation in party primaries.
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“Our submission is that based on the documents available to us, the third defendant (Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu), has not shown that he was fully cleared after the screening,” he stated.
Enoh also said that Otu does not possess the required academic qualification to have participated in the primaries.
Similarly, counsel to Otu, Mr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said his client was properly screened and also academically qualified to contest for the governorship position in the state.
He faulted the plaintiff for bringing a witness to testify against Otu’s academic qualification.
Ozekhome noted that it was against the position of the law.
“You cannot call oral evidence in after the matter started by originating Summons.
However, following the arguments of the third defendant against counsel to Enoh on the grounds of originating summons, the presiding judge adjourned the case to Thursday.
She said that the adjournment was to allow the parties to produce their thoughts on the matter.
