Our attention has been drawn to a letter from Senator Ita Enang to The Honourable Justice John Tsoho, Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja purporting to stop the Court from giving its ruling on a suit filed by Obong Akanimo Udofia before that honourable Court.

Ordinarily, we are not obliged to respond to the fulmination of Mr Enang as we have ample confidence in the judiciary to dispense justice and ensure that the mandate of the leadership and members of our great Party All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, freely given to Obong Akan Udofia to fly the Party’s Flag as Governorship Candidate is preserved.

However, because the letter is now in the public domain, we are obliged to use this medium to draw the attention of our Party members and all Akwa Ibomites, who nurse a genuine desire for progressive governance geared towards the enthronement of shared prosperity in our beloved State, to some salient legal facts and reassure them that the letter is a misnomer and has no relevance whatsoever in law and to the key issues on ground.

1. For starters, it is elementary knowledge that is too late for Ita Enang, or any other party, to purport to write to a Chief Judge, seeking to join a case which has been duly heard and adjourned for judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction.

2) In law, the proper thing for a party who feels he is an interested party in a case should do is to find out the court handling the matter and file a motion on notice to be joined as a party to the suit during hearing and before Judgement is reserved in the matter.

3) It is the height of mischief and abuse of court process for someone to attempt to go through the back door to arrest the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction via a mere letter to another Judge who is not himself presiding over the matter. We repose great confidence in the Honourable Chief Justice and firmly believe that he will not allow a desperate attention seeker to soil his hard earned reputation.

5) Assuming without conceding that the matter was still open for parties to join, the claims and reliefs sought are not the same in both cases as Mr. Enang mischievously and erroneously tried to portray in his letter to the Chief Judge. Whereas the Uyo case is on who won the primary election, the Abuja case is to compel INEC to publish the name of the candidate who was duly nominated and submitted to it by the Party.

We call on Mr. Enang to desist from trying to cut his nose to spite his face. Akwa Ibom APC belongs to all of us and anyone who truly loves the APC should close ranks, stop the unnecessary bickering and work together for the victory of our Party in the State by rallying round the Governorship Candidate, Obong Akanimo Udofia.

The good people of our State are looking up to us for a credible alternative to the imposition of an unpopular choice by the ruling Party.

This is our time and we will take it with both hands.

Signed:

Otuekong Iniobong John,

Chairman,

Media & Publicity Committee

All Progressives Congress,

Akwa Ibom State Chapter

1st October, 2022