Judgment recognizing Usani as C'River APC guber candidate an unnecessary distraction - Owan Enoh

Sen. John Owan Enoh

Embattled governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Cross River State, Sen. John Owan Enoh has said that the Calabar High Court judgement recognizing Pastor Usani Usani as governorship candidate of the party in the state was an unnecessary distraction that won't stand.

Enoh who spoke through Dan Amor, Spokesman of his campaign organization said that the judgement cannot stand in law as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last month dismissed a suit by Usani seeking to declare him as the authentic governorship candidate of the party in the state.

It will be recalled that yesterday Justice Simon Amobeda of the Calabar High Court has given a judgement compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement the Bwari High Court judgment that recognized Usani and all candidates elected by the Etim John led faction as the authentic candidates of APC in the state.

Enoh however in a statement dismissed the ruling maintaining that it was bought and promoted by Governor Ben Ayade, candidate of the PDP who is frightened by his involvement in the race.

Read the full statement below :

"The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State, has been drawn to a purported judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Calabar, seeking to enforce an earlier controversial ruling of a Bwari, Abuja High Court that recognised the Etim John's factional the state executive council of the party and directing the withdrawal of the candidates of the late state chairman, Dr. Matthew Achigbe, from state/federal assemblies to governorship, from the 2019 general elections, and wishes to state as follows:

1. That the Bwari, Abuja High Court ruling has since been appealed by the defendant in the Appeal Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja pending hearing.

2. That the claimant, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani had sought an Abuja High Court sitting in Apo, FCT, to declare him the governorship candidate of the APC in our state and his case summarily dismissed by the court presided over by Justice Adeniyi on January 7, 2019 on the following grounds:

(a). Usani's case was full of contradictory claims and forgeries.

(b). Usani's affidavit in support of originating summons was unreliable.

(c). Usani was not found to be an aspirant and his case not justiciable in tandem with the laws of the country.

(d). That the Etim John's supervised primary was illegal and contrary to the party's constitution and guidelines for primaries.

3. That the primary which produced our candidates for the general election (from state assembly, National Assembly and governorship) was a Direct Primary conducted by the National Working Committee of the party as stipulated by the party's constitution, as against the Etim John's primary conducted by a state faction.

We therefore see the purported judgment reportedly delivered today by the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar as an unnecessary distraction which cannot stand in law.

The judgement is either bought and promoted by Gov. Ben Ayade who is visibly frightened by the looming presence of Sen. John Owan Enoh in the governorship race in the state or is a fabrication. Or else, why would the Government House, Calabar issue a press release claiming and promoting what is practically unrealistic? Is Gov. Ayade a party to any candidature tussle with John Owan Enoh?".