The Court of Appeal, sitting in Calabar, has refused an oral application brought by a factional Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, John Ochala, for a stay of execution of a Federal High Court judgment recognising Godwin Etim John’s faction as the state executive in Cross River State.
Delivering judgment in an appeal brought by the embattled Acting Chairman of APC, John Ochala, Justice Mojeed Owoade ordered that all parties maintain status quo, pending the determination of the appeal filed by Ochala against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Calabar
Recall that the Federal High Court Calabar, presided over by Justice S.A. Ambeda, had on February 11th given judgment in suit number FHC/CA/CS/73/2018 in which the Court recognised the Godwin Etim John-led working committee of APC, as the authentic party executive in the state.
The Court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise the list of candidates submitted by the Godwin Etim John-led Working Committee of APC in the state.
The list of candidates presented by Godwin Etim John include: Usani Uguru Usani governorship candidate, Bassey Edet Otu (Cross RIVER South), Akin Riketts (Cross River Central), Ugba Murphy (Cross River North) among other National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly members.
On 13th of December last year, Justice A.O Musa of an Abuja High Court gave a similar verdict recognising the Godwin Etim John as the authentic party executive of APC in the state.
Justice Musa also ordered INEC and the National working Committee of APC to present the list of candidates as submitted by Godwin Etim John in the 2019 general elections.
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