By Odo Ogenyi, Uyo
The head of the Legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom, Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, has described the latest legal actions of Mr Mike Enyong against the party’s guber candidate Mr Umoh Eno as an act of mischievousness.
He has also urged the public to ignore the false speculations making the rounds that Enyong has replaced Eno as the candidate of the PDP as the Independent National Electoral Commission has continued to recognize Eno in their list as the authentic candidate duly nominated by the party.
Nwoko, a former Attorney General in state, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Uyo yesterday adding that the Police has already declared the National Assembly member wanted over failure to honour invitations by the police and allegtions of forgery and impersonation levelled against him by the PDP.
Urging members of the public to ignore what he observed as series of misinformation peddled on the social media, Nwoko said that based on three grounds of fraud, lack of due service to parties listed, and lack of jurisdiction, the purported judgement obtained by Enyong was not tenable anywhere.
He said further that there is a pending motion before a Federal High Court in Abuja by Pastor Eno and at the Appeal Court by PDP, for stay of execution on the controversial court judgement obtained by the said Enyong, hence the decision of the federal high court cannot be effected until the pending motions are dispensed.
Even at that he further added, Enyong is yet to present a copy of his “fraudulent” judgement to INEC.
“I personally filed a case to the Police, but refused to show up. Mike Enyong should submit himself to the nearest Police station. He should respond to questions bordering on fraudulent actions.
“He has not gotten the courage to present his fraudulently obtained judgement to INEC up till now. Even if he approaches INEC, it will not be be executed. PDP through its representative, Paul Usoro, (SAN)had filed a stay of execution.
” There is a stay of execution motion at the Court of Appeal. Mike Enyong is not and cannot be candidate of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, because the purported judgement he has is not valid. The judgement he is holding was obtained by fraud.
“As at yesterday, I took time to access INEC website and I visited their office in Abuja. This documents which I printed out in colored form, was downloaded from INEC website yesterday. At any point in time you can verify and confirm that Pastor Umo Eno is the PDP candidate in Akwa Ibom State.
“Mike Enyong claims that he obtained judgement from the Federal High Court Abuja and that the judgement now makes him a candidate of the PDP. Let me state here that the judgement which was obtained by fraud and which he has carefully refused to bring to the public, does not in anyway tamper with the candidacy of Umo Bassey Eno.
“I was at INEC headquarters on Friday, they have not received any letter from him. He has not written to INEC or even attempted to present that judgement or ask INEC to substitute his name with Umo Eno’s”.
The former AG expressed disappointment that a public officer of Enyong’s standing would condescend to the extent of forging signatures of the National officers and the official letter headed paper of the PDP and presented same before the court, where he obtained a fraudulent judgment.
In detailing the illegalities and irregularities trailing the case Nwoko pointed out that the Nigerian constitution provided a time line of 14 days for the filing of any pre-election matters but Enyong filed his case after 69 days while he refused to join Eno in the suit.
“It is on record that the PDP gubernatorial primaries took place on the 25th of May 2022 and Mr Enyong filed the case on 1st August of the same year, 69 days after the event took place.”
“Take note that this will not be the first time Mr Enyong filled a case on this matter. Precisely On 7th June 2022, the Plaintiff had filed a suit(FHC ABJ CS 8202022) in a Federal High Court in Abuja joining Pst Umo Eno as a second defendant.
“But Enyong mischievously withdrew this suit knowing it will be a failed endeavour and later filed another where Eno was not even joined in the suit and meanwhile he did not serve the PDP that he joined in the suit while filing it, and according to order 14 and rule 10 of the Federal High Court, lack of Service, lack of Jurisdiction and fraud are the core basis cases like his are always set aside.” He explained.
