A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has, on Friday, ordered a court summon to be served on the Chairman of the Young Progressives Party in the state, Nyenime Andy, and Senator Bassey Albert over why the latter had come to inherit the party’s governorship ticket in the state.
This followed a suit instituted by a governorship aspirant of the party, Alexander Asuquo, challenging the chairman’s alleged attempt to preserve the party’s governorship ticket for Senator Albert who recently defected to the party from the Peoples Democratic party.
Joined in the suit are the YPP, its Chairman, Senator Albert and the Independent National Electoral Commission, as first, second, third and fourth defendants.
The party had earlier submitted to INEC, the name of the state party Chairman, who was believed to be preserving the ticket for Senator Albert.
The plaintiff is therefore praying the court for a judicial explanation as to whether Andy, the state chairman of the party can validly use his position as the chairman of the party to preserve and reserve the governorship ticket to Sen. Bassey Albert (3rd defendant) who was already an aspirant under the platform of the PDP.
Meanwhile, the court has adjourned sitting to August 30, 2022, for hearing while hearing notice was ordered to be served on INEC and the YPP accordingly.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, the aspirant, Mr Alexander Asuquo said he would go up to the Supreme Court to challenge the matter, adding that it would set bad precedence if left unchallenged.
He said, “Besides challenging the legality of the chairman’s action, I’m also asking the court to determine if after also filling and submitting a nomination form in the PDP, Albert can be validly be nominated by the YPP in view of the provisions of Section 35 of the Electoral Act 2022.
“I’m not just a member but a governorship aspirant under the YPP who was received into the party by Andy himself.
“After being received into the party in February 2022, I noticed that almost everywhere I went for a consultation, I was told that the party belongs to OBA.
“I asked some party executives about OBA’s stake in the party but they dismissed it as a rumour.
“I then observed that the state chairman was working for OBA. He blocked me from the party machinery to enable him preserve the ticket for OBA. I wasn’t sure of the plan until the day the state chairman picked up YPP gubernatorial nomination form pretending that he is interested in running for governor. He was actually acting as a decoy for Senator Albert.
“I was shocked when I realised that the rumour was true and decided to wait for them at the appropriate time. Now I want the court to determine whether what the chairman did in pretending that he wants to contest for governor when in fact he has no intention to run but to keep the ticket for the senator is lawful.
“I’m ready to go up to the Supreme Court over this issue because I believe it will set a bad precedence if not challenged.”