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Court Halts Delisting Of Owan-Enoh By INEC As APC Governorship Candidate In Cross River

  The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has ordered a stay of execution on the Federal High Court judgment, … Continue reading Court Halts Delisting Of Owan-Enoh By INEC As APC Governorship Candidate In Cross River


Alleged Bribery: Witness Testifies As Rickey Tarfa’s Trial Continues
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Alleged Bribery: Witness Testifies As Rickey Tarfa’s Trial Continues
File photo

 

The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has ordered a stay of execution on the Federal High Court judgment, which ordered the delisting of Senator John Owan-Enoh as the governorship flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.

The presiding judge, Justice Mojeed Awoade ordered that the two factions of the APC in the state should maintain status quo, pending the final judgment in the case.

Senator Owan-Enoh and the Minister of Niger Delta, Usani Usani, are both in contention for the party’s ticket for Cross River State governorship seat.

The Appeal Court had on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, refused an oral application by the Owan-Enoh faction for a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment.

Justice Awoade had ordered all parties to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the appeal filed by the faction of the party led by John Ochala against the judgment of the Federal High Court.

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He, however, granted the Ochala faction of the party leave to appeal the judgment of the Federal High Court, which had on February 11 recognised the Etim John faction of the APC as the authentic leadership of the party in the state.

The court also directed INEC to recognise the list of candidates presented by the Etim John led leadership in the general elections.

But responding to the stay of execution order by the Appeal Court, the counsel to Senator Owan-Enoh explained that INEC had misinterpreted the Federal High Court order by delisting the names of the candidates of the APC earlier sent to the commission.

He insisted that Owan-Enoh remained the recognised governorship candidate for the March 9, 2019 election.

On his part, the counsel to Usani said his team would wait for the final judgment in the case, which is expected to be delivered before the governorship election on March 9, 2019.

The Appeal Court has adjourned the case until Monday, March 4, 2019.