By Frank Ulom
The Supreme Court has ruled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not field a candidate for the March 11, 2023 State House of Assembly election for the Yala I State Constituency in Cross River State.
Recall that Rt. Hon. Regina Anyogo won the Yala I State Constituency Primary under the APC, defeating her closest rival, Victoria Otanya Odey.
According to the ruling, the APC primary election that produced Anyogo as a candidate is illegal and invalid having been held in Ogoja State Constituency, outside the Yala I State constituency.
Barr. First Baba Isa, Counsel to the Appellant, Victoria Otanya Odey in a Facebook post on Monday said, “the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment, agreed with our position and held that the APC primary election that produced Regina Anyogo as candidate is illegal and invalid having been held in Ogoja, outside the Yala I State constituency.
“The Cross Appeals filed by both APC and Regina Anyogo were dismissed for being academic.”
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Baba-Isa further said that “the prayer of our client, the Appellant, Victoria Otanya Odey, to be declared the APC Candidate for Yala I State Constituency was also refused.
“The Supreme stated repeatedly that the implication is that APC has no candidate for Yala I State Constituency in the 2023 General Elections”.
Adding that, “Honourable Justice Amina Augie, JSC, who delivered the lead judgment, advised that all parties should learn from this and conduct their affairs respectably next time”.
Anyogo is currently the seating member for Yala I State Constituency prior to the 2023 election.
She won the 2019 election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later defected in 2020 to the APC with Governor Ben Ayade of the state.
