The All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State has faulted the judgment of the Supreme Court which affirmed the victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party.
A communiqué issued on Thursday at the end of a meeting of the elders, members and stakeholders of the APC said that the Supreme Court judgment lacked reason, logic and depth.
The APC said that the apex court ignored the overwhelming evidence of its governorship candidate, Umana Umana, at the tribunal which had held that the petitioner had proved that there was no valid election in 18 of the 31 local government areas in the state.
The APC said it wondered why the Supreme Court rejected the findings of the Court of Appeal that established, based on over 340 documentary evidence and 50 witnesses, that there was no valid governorship election in all the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom on 11 April 2015.
The communiqué, which was signed by the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Amadu Attai , and the secretary, Chief Effiong Etuk, added that the body of evidence the petitioners tendered before the tribunal and the Appeal Court included mutilated ballot papers and result sheets.
Other complaints included lack of result collation, signing of multiple result sheets by people who were not party agents.
The communiqué read, “We want to put on record our utter rejection of the judgment of the Supreme Court about the PDP appeal against the victory of the APC at the Court of Appeal in the state governorship election petition. We believe that the judgment of the Supreme Court is devoid of reason, logic and depth.
“The Supreme Court judgment is a dangerous act of political advocacy that completely ignores the uncontested and overwhelming evidence of the petitioners (Umana Okon Umana and the APC) at the tribunal which had held that the petitioner had proved that there was no valid election in 18 of the 31 local government areas in the state.
“In addition to this evidence, our candidate and party had also tendered the reports of the United States Embassy, European Union, Nigerian Civil Society Organisations and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps which stated that the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State was marred by widespread irregularities and violence.”
It said Nigerians should ask the Supreme Court how it reached its findings that Emmanuel was lawfully returned in spite of the evidence of mind-boggling irregularities.
The party called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up machinery to look into the judgment of the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Appeal at the Supreme Court.