... YPP CHAIRMAN FAILS TO PROVE LEGITIMACY OF HOLDING TWO POSITIONS

The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo on Friday continued hearing on the suit challenging the eligibility of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan to fly the Young Progressives Party’s YPP Governorship ticket.

The matter came before Honourable Justice A. A. Okeke for trial after the Court on the 5th of September 2022 ordered parties to file pleadings on the matter.

The Plaintiff, Alexander Asuquo who was in Court was represented by N. C. Ikono.

Nyeneime Andy and YPP (The 1st and 2nd Defendants) were represented by C. N. Wigwe and E. N. Akpabio while Senator Bassey Albert ( 3rd Defendant) was represented by five (5) lawyers led by Ime Asanga, Esq.

The Plaintiff who gave evidence that the 2nd Defendant, Dr Nyeneime Andy used his position as the state chairman of the party to block him from participating in the nomination process tendered eleven (11) exhibits before the Court.

The Court was informed that Dr. Nyeneime Andy insisted on him building a party secretariat in his local government area before he could be allowed to purchase Governorship nomination form.

When it was time for Dr. Andy to testify, he admitted on cross examination that he contested the primary while still the chairman of the party without resigning.

When asked whether he can validly take part in a primary without resignation, he said the constitution of the party permits him to do so.

When asked to show which part of the constitution of the party allows him to do, Andy began to sweat in the witness box and looked at his lawyers for help.

Dr. Andy's lawyer's objection to the question was overruled by the Court which insisted that he must answer the question.

The Court cautioned Apostle Andy's lawyer from unnecessary interruption of the proceedings with irrelevant objections while Apostle Andy fretted in the witness box because he could not find any such provisions in the party’s constitution.

Also, when asked at what point he decided to join the guber race, he told the Court that it was sometime in March 2022.

Asked when he realized that he was no longer interested in the race, he said he realized that he has no money to continue in the contest and decided to voluntarily withdraw from the race.

This testimony by Dr. Andy shows how dishonest the self acclaimed man of God is.

It could be recalled that he had during the declaration of Sen. Bassey Albert informed the public that his withdrawal for OBA was because the senator had previously withdrawn for others.

This contradicts his evidence before the Court and goes a long way to reveal that the game plan had always been to reserve the ticket for OBA.

Sen. Bassey Albert was conspicuously absent as his testimony was given by the state secretary of state party, he Mr. Kelvin Umoh. During cross examination, the witness however admitted that everything he said before the court are hearsay as he is not Bassey Albert who is sued as a 3rd Defendant in the Court.

The Court thereafter adjourned the matter to 19th September 2022 for adoption of final written addresses.

Several of his supporters who were in court have expressed fear that the case could stop the Senator after he had previously failed to secure the ticket in PDP.