The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for Essien Udim State Constituency in Akwa Ibom State, in the last general election , Hon. Nse Ntuen, has been forced to withdraw his suit challenging the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Hon. Ese Umoh, who was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ntuen, who was a staunch supporter of the current Minister, Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, Senator Godswill Akpabio, decamped with his mentor and was given an automatic return ticket by the state chapter of the APC through the support of Akpabio.
After the election, Ntuen was declared winner of the election by the Returning Officer, but the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, refused to present him the Certificate of Return.
That decision by Igini, led to litigations at the ElectionTribunal up to the Appeal Court. The tribunal in its judgment, ordered the INEC to issue Ntuen with his CoR but he was adamant.
Ntuen and his legal team headed to the Appeal Court in Calabar to seek redress. While the case was still ongoing in the Court of Appeal and success of the Appeal, almost in matter of days. Ntuen, without the knowledge of his Lead Counsel, wrote a letter to the Court, seeking seeking discontinuation of the case.
The letter of withdrawal personally signed by Ntuen is in our possession.
Investigations on the sudden withdrawal revealed that the former lawmaker, in an action largely seen as betrayal of trust, took the action unilaterally without consulting his counsel, Barrister Patrick Umoh and even his mentor, Senator Akpabio, who was responsible for the legal fees.
Government House sources in Uyo, confided in this reporter that the embattled former lawmaker, who was at the verge of winning the legal tussle, was compelled by the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, to withdraw the suit to avoid the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), lossing a seat in the PDP dominated House.
It was exclusively gathered that the withdrawal was a product of intense and well coordinated horse- trading, brokered by the Commissioner for Investment, Ukpong Akpabio, who was said to have literally dragged Hon Ntuen before the governor, who offered him irresistible financial compensation and offsetting of all the expenses he incurred while pursuing the case.
It was further learnt from sources within the ruling party that “the move is part of the 2023 political calculation to sell the opposition APC in the state to the PDP”.
It would be recalled that Hon Ntuen, apart from fighting to reclaim his mandate at the election tribunal, 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 aquitted. The Supreme Court noted that the allegation, which was a pre-election matter, was brought outside the stipulated period allowed by the law.
Contentions in informed political circle is that, with his move to make peace with Udom Emmanuel and his government, has he thought about the current living condition of the University Don who declared him winner? The Professor is said to be down with stroke as at press time.
