The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for Essien Udim State Constituency in Akwa Ibom State, in the 2019 General Elections, Hon. Nse Ntuen, has allegedly been forced to withdraw his suit challenging the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Ese Umoh, who was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ntuen, who was a staunch supporter of the current Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, decamped with his mentor and was given an automatic return ticket by the state chapter of the APC through the support of Akpabio.

After the election, Ntuen was declared winner of the election by the Returning Officer, but the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, refused to present him with the Certificate of Return.

That decision by Igini, led to litigations at the Election Petitions Tribunal, up to the Appeal Court. The tribunal in its judgment, ordered the INEC to issue Ntuen with his CoR but the electoral umpire was adamant.

Ntuen and his legal team headed to the Appeal Court in Calabar, in his quest to reclaim his mandate. While the case was still ongoing at the Court of Appeal and success of the Appeal, almost in matter of days. Ntuen, allegedly, without the knowledge of his Lead Counsel, wrote a letter to the Court, seeking discontinuation of the case.

Investigations into Ntuen’s sudden withdrawal of his petition at the Court of Appeal, in an action largely seen as betrayal of trust, was a unilateral decision as his Counsel, Barrister Patrick Umoh, and even his mentor, Senator Akpabio, who was responsible for the legal fees were said to be unaware of Ntuen’s action..

Government House sources in Uyo, confided in our reporter that the embattled former lawmaker, who was on the verge of winning the legal tussle, was compelled by the State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, to withdraw the suit to save the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) from losing a seat in the PDP-dominated House.

It was exclusively gathered that the withdrawal was a product of intense and well coordinated horse- trading, allegedly brokered by the Commissioner for Investment, Ukpong Akpabio, who was said to have literally dragged Hon. Ntuen before the governor, who was said to have offered him irresistible financial compensation and offsetting of all the expenses he incurred while pursuing the case.

It was further learnt from sources within the ruling party that “the move is part of the 2023 political calculation to sell the opposition APC in the state to the PDP.”

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