The All Progressives Congress candidate for Essien Udim State Constituency in Akwa Ibom State during the 2019 general election, Hon Nse Ntuen, has withdrawn his suit that challenged the election of Hon Ese Umoh, Peoples Democratic Party candidate from the appeal court.
After the election, Ntuen was declared the winner by INEC Returning Officer for Essien Udim Local Government Area having polled the majority of total valid votes cast, but the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, refused to give him the Certificate of Return.
But in a twist of event, the Returning Officer wrote a complaint letter to Akwa Ibom State INEC commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini and alleged that he declared Nse Ituen under duress.
Rather, Umoh who is the serving member of the state constituency was declared the winner and was issued Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Ntuen sued INEC at the Elections Tribunal and it ordered INEC to issue Ntuen with his CoR.
The Akwa Ibom State National and House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal, Uyo on Sunday, September 22, 2019 delivered judgment in the petition filed by Barr. Esse Umoh, PDP candidate for Essien Udim State constituency against Hon.Nse Ntuen of the APC.
He then headed to the Elections Appeal Court in Calabar for redress. While the Court of Appeal Ntuen without the knowledge of his Lead Counsel, wrote a letter to the Court, seeking discontinuation of the case.
Apart from fighting to reclaim his mandate at the election tribunal, Hon Ntuen had to battle with alleged perjury.
He was alleged to have faked his class of degree from 2/2 to 2/1. The case went up to the Supreme Court where he was neither discharged nor acquitted.
Umoh petitioned the tribunal and urged the tribunal among other things to disqualify Ntuen and declare him the winner of that election.
According to him, Ntuen at the time of the election did not have the requisite academic qualification.
Delivering judgment, the chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Akanbi ordered INEC to Nse Ntuen, the APC candidate his certificate of return, having been declared and returned by the INEC Returning Officer as the winner.
Justice Akanbi dismissed the petitioner’s prayer for lacking in merit.
The Supreme Court noted that the allegation, which was a pre-election matter, was brought outside the stipulated period allowed by the law.
Recall that Ntuen, who was a staunch supporter of the current Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, defected with his mentor and was given an automatic return ticket by the state chapter of the APC.
Investigations on the sudden withdrawal revealed that the former lawmaker took the action unilaterally without consulting his counsel, Barr Patrick Umoh and his mentor, Senator Akpabio, who bore the legal fees.
However, Ntuen speaking with one his political associates said ”I am a father. I don’t want to continue with case. I have to take a fatherly role in withdrawing the matter from Appeal Court.’’
See the letter of withdrawal personally signed by Ntuen.
