By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
A Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, struck out a suit by Barr Alexander Asuquo challenging the eligibility of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan as the authentic Young Progressives Party (YPP) governorship candidate for the state.
The plaintiff had in suit No. FHC/UY/CS/138/2022, sued the Young Progressives Party, its Akwa Ibom State Chairman, Dr. Nyeneime Andy Eno, Senator Bassey Albert, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to challenge Senator Akpan aka OBA’s emergence as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom State.
In opposing the case, OBA’s team of lawyers, led by Ime Nya Asanga Esq, and Jerry Akpan Esq. in tandem with YPP’s Counsel, N.B.E.Nwigwe Esq, raised several preliminary objections, chief among which was, the fact that the claimant, not being a participant in any of the party’s gubernatorial primary elections, lacked the locus standi to bring an action to challenge it.
In her Judgment delivered virtually by Zoom, the trial judge, Justice Agatha Okeke upheld the preliminary objection, submitting that the said Alexander Asuquo was in effect, a meddlesome interloper with no locus standi to bring the action and thus, dismissed the plaintiff’s suit in its entirety.
Reacting to the judgment, the Director of Media and Communication of Senator Akpan’s campaign organisation, Dr Usoro Usoro described the claimant’s action as another attempt to stop Senator Akpan’s gubernatorial ambition but which again suffered setback.
“The chickens came to roost today, Jan 5, 2023, on another attempt to throw a clog in the smooth-moving wheels of Senator Bassey Albert’s gubernatorial ambition,” he said.
