By Odo Ogenyi, Uyo
Tension has enveloped Akwa Ibom state as the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the state capital is set to deliver judgement in alleged forgery case against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Eno.
One of the aspirants in the May 25, 2022, PDP governorship primary, Mr. Akan Okon, a former Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport, had immediately after the primary, which he emerged second, approached the Court in suit number, FHC/UY/CS/110/2022, seeking the disqualification of Eno, as being ineligible to contest the poll.
The major particulars of the case, which is about to be determined by the presiding Judge, Justice Agatha Okeke, on Friday, our Correspondent gathered, bothers on allegations of multiple forgeries of the West African School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, discrepancies in places and dates of birth, as well as the issues surrounding the authenticity of his Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC.
The matter was originally slated for determination on November 28, but had to be shifted backward to November 11, in order to dispose all pre-election cases in good time for the polls proper.
However, Governor Udom Emmanuel, who announced Eno as his preferred successor in January 2022, is said to be running around with other party stakeholders, in frantic last ditch efforts to save his candidate from being booted out of the governorship race.
Sources who spoke on strict confidence to this reporter said the governor has reached out to many influential contacts across the country to help him save Eno from being sacked by the Court.
One of the sources said, “the Governor cannot sit and watch the Court sack Umo Eno. Of late he has been jittery and no longer at ease with people surrounding him. He has been traveling out of the state more frequently of recent, reaching out to influential people across the country in a bid to save the situation.”
“The Governor knows that Umo Eno had a very bad case and he is aware that if he leaves it to the drama that the defence lawyers staged in the court, Umo Eno will be gone and that will be a huge blow to him especially the fact that he said God revealed Umo Eno to him”, the source added.
Opposition political parties in the state have taken due advantage of the alleged forgery case, lampooning Eno, the PDP and Governor Emmanuel, faulting the Governor’s integrity and claim to excellence in the unfolding allegation in the case of multiple forgery.
Campaigning across the State, the Young Progressives Congress, YPP, had in one of its campaign songs, challenged Umo Eno, to bring his credentials if he wants to be governor.
However, the opposition parties are also said to be banking on the governor to pull through with Umo Eno’s case so that they can drag Eno to Court after the election.
