A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has declared Bassey Otu as the authentic governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu made the declaration while delivering judgment in a suit in Calabar.
Otu’s challengers and an APC governorship aspirant in the state, Owan Enoh, had after the primary in May approached the court seeking to disqualify Otu as the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections.
Ojukwu in her ruling said, “That a candidate contesting for a the position of governor must be a Nigerian, meet the stipulated age requirement and have basic qualification according to the constitution.”
She said the matter of determination of a governorship candidate of a political party is, and still remains the right of a political party.
This has put to rest months of speculations and division in the Cross River APC as the party prepares for the 2023 campaigns.