A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has asked the Federal High Court in Uyo to nullify the party’s governorship primary for failure to comply with the law.

The aspirant, Ita Enang, a former presidential aide, said the primary held on May 26 violates Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 as it was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Enang, a former senator, also asked the court to nullify the nomination of the governorship candidate of the party, Akanimo Udofia, because, according to him, Mr Udofia was not a registered member of the party at the time the primary was held.

He further prayed the court to stop INEC from accepting Mr Udofia as the governorship candidate of the party.

In the alternative, Mr Enang urged the court to order the APC to conduct a new governorship primary without the participation of Mr Udofia or declared him the duly nominated governorship candidate of the primary among other prayers.

Mr Enang told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that there was no primary in Akwa Ibom as voting materials and election committee members were at the State Security Service (SSS) in Uyo after they were rescued.

He said everybody had gone to bed after the chairman of the committee said he was traumatised as a result of the fight over the control of the election materials by supporters of the two factions of the party in the state.

The APC in Akwa Ibom has been torn into two factions because of a protracted battle between the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and the former national secretary of APC, John Akpanudoedehe, over the control of the party structure in the state.

Mr Enang, who pitched tent with Mr Akpabio’s faction, was banking on his (Akpabio) support to clinch the party’s governorship ticket in the state.

He, however, became disappointed after Mr Akpabio backed Mr Udofia to emerge as the APC governorship candidate in the state.

Mr Akpanudoedehe after being outmanoeuvred by Mr Akpabio’s faction during the governorship primary defected to the New Nigerian Peoples Party where he secured the party’s governorship ticket in the state.