By KEMI KASUMU
Report reaching us has it that the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo has, this Friday evening, dismissed the WAEC certificate forgery case brought before it by Mr Akan Okon, who contested but failed to win the governorship ticket of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last primary election in Akwa Ibom State, against Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, a co-contestant who won and has since been returned as PDP Governorship Candidate for the 2023 election in the state.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Agatha Okeke dismissed the case for lack of merit and held that all the claims by the plaintiff were based on assumptions and speculations.
The court further awarded N15 million cost against Mr Okon in favour of Pastor Umo Eno, PDP and INEC who were defendants in the case.
The court had earlier held that the plaintiff failed to fulfill the conditions for the use of a document as evidence.
The court reasoned that the document tendered by Akan Okon did not carry any authentication, as the petitioner admitted to having received it electronically through email and WhatsApp.
The document, according to the court, was not in its original form and he (Okon) was said not to have proven that he was a member of the organisation (Association for the Advancement of Democracy in Nigeria).
Our Correspondent reports wild jubilation in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital among members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, as the ruling has calmed the tension which hitherto enveloped the camp of Umo Eno, Governor Udom Emmanuel’s preferred candidate.
