By Odo Ogenyi
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has rejected a bid by Senator Ita Enang to strike out APC Governorship Candidate, Obong Akan Udofia’s, action against INEC for allegedly being filed out of time.
It will be recalled that Akan Udofia had filed an action to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to publish his name and particulars having been declared the winner of the APC Governorship Primaries in Akwa Ibom State.
Addressing the Court in Abuja, Counsel to Udofia, Valentine Offia argued that INEC’s omission of his client’s name occured on the 22nd of July while the suit was filed on 1st of August 2022.
Offia further established that the computation of time falls within the statutory 14 days period for such pre election matters prescribed in 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The Court upheld Akan Udofia’s argument that the case was properly filed in time thereby thwarting any move by Senator Ita Enang to render it out of time.
The case has been adjourned to 17th October 2022 for hearing on joinder.
It would be recalled that Udofia had some months ago won convincingly the APC’s gubenatorial primaries supervised by the National Electoral Panel of the party at the party’s Secretariat in Uyo.
His victory has however been challenged by one of the aspirants and a former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly matters, Senator Eta Enang.
