A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has declared Bassey Otu, popularly known as Sweet Prince, as the authentic governorship candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu issued the verdict on Monday.
Otu’s challengers and an APC governorship hopeful in the state, Owan Enoh, had after the primary in May approached the court seeking to disqualify Otu as the APC’s governorship flag-bearer in respect of the 2023 election.
But Ojukwu in her ruling said: “A candidate contesting for the position of governor must be a Nigerian, meet the stipulated age requirement, and have basic qualifications according to the constitution.”
According to her, the matter of determination of a governorship candidate of a political party is the right of a political party.
Otu is a one-time banker and former student unionist who represented Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal Constituency for two terms of eight years between 2003 and 2011 and was in the Senate from 2011 to 2015 as the lawmaker representing Cross River South Senatorial District.
