FORMER Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs to President Muhuammadu Buhari, Ita Enang, has lost his bid for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Akwa Ibom State.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday, January 19, upturned the judgment of a Federal High Court which nullified the governorship primary of the APC in Akwa Ibom.

The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo had  on November 14, 2022, cancelled the  governorship primary election held on May, 26 2022, and ordered a new one.

In a suit numbered FHC/UY/144/2022, Enang had told the court that the party primary won by Akan Udofia was marred by several illegalities, as the winner was not a member of the party.

Udofia in his argument said that the APC had given him a waiver that qualified him to contest the party primaries.

Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Agatha Okeke nullified the primary and ordered another election within two weeks. He also disqualified the governorship candidate, Udofia, saying he was not a member of the APC in the state.

However, in a ruling on Thursday, a three-member panel of the appeal court unanimously set aside the lower court’s verdict.

The panel held that the primary election being an internal affair of the APC ought not to have been adjudicated upon by the high court.

The appellate court also faulted the Uyo Federal High Court for assuming jurisdictions to hear Enang’s suit contrary to provisions of section 97 and 98 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act.