Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Governor, Akwa Ibom State with Mr. Umo Eno, governorship candidate of the PDP, Akwa Ibom State.
By our reporter
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, is in a last minutes rush to save Mr. Umo Eno, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, who is standing trial for alleged forgery.
Mr. Eno is standing trial at the Federal High Court Uyo, for alleged falsification of his educational certificate, voter’s card and birth records.
An aspirant for the May 25th PDP governorship primary, Mr. Akan Okon, former Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport in the state, in suit number, FHC/UY/CS/110/2022 before Justice Agatha Okeke, had asked the court to disqualify Eno for filing forged documents for the contest.
The presiding judge, Justice Okeke had on Friday 14th October announced November 28 as tentative date for judgment on the case.
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However, earlier last week, the court in a notice to parties fixed Friday 11th November for judgment on the case.
Mr. Emmanuel who announced Eno as his preferred successor in January 2022, is said to be running around to save his candidate from being booted out of the governorship race.
Sources who spoke on strict confidence to our reporter said the governor has reached out to many influential contacts across the country to help him save Eno from being sacked by the Court.
One of the sources said, “the Governor cannot sit and watch the Court sack Umo Eno. Of late he has been jittery and no longer at ease with people surrounding him. He has been travelling out of the state more frequently of late reaching out to influential people across the country in a bid to save the situation.”
“The Governor knows that Umo Eno had a very bad case and he is aware that if he leaves it to the drama that the defence lawyers staged in the court, Umo Eno will be gone and that will be a huge blow to him especially the fact that he said God revealed Umo Eno to him”, the source added.
Opposition political parties in the state have taken due advantage of the alleged forgery case lampooning Eno, the PDP and Governor Emmanuel, faulting the Governor’s integrity and claim to excellence in the unfolding allegation in the case of multiple forgery.
Campaigning across the State, the Young Progressives Congress had in song challenged Umo Eno to bring his credentials if he wants to be governor.
However, the opposition parties are also said to be banking on the governor to pull through with Umo Eno’s case so that they can drag Eno to Court after the election.
