Akwa- Ibom senatorial dispute: Rights group calls for transparency, integrity

The International Human Rights and Anti- Corruption Society, IHRAS, has called for transparency and integrity in dispensation of justice over Akwa Ibom North East senatorial tussle pending before the Court of Appeal in Calabar.

In an interim report sent to the President of Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, calling for a speedy hearing of the matter, the group’s Secretary, Barrister Lennox Kachina, commended the Justices of the Court of Appeal in ensuring that the appeal was compressed and expeditiously heard when it came up on Monday, November 13, 2017 as the appellant was attempting to frustrate the hearing.

Justice F O Rima of the Federal High Court in Uyo had on February 24, 2017, delivered a well considered Judgement in a pre election matter that lasted for about 2 years in court and annulled the Certificate of Return of Senator Bassey Akpan. The judge also ordered INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Hon Bassey Etim while INEC complied accordingly.

In view of an effort to prevent injustice, IHRAS was granted an observation status by the President Court of Appeal following their request.
The IHRACS while expressing concern over the life span of the current 8th National Assembly which is 1,460 days, commencing from June 9, 2015 when it was inaugurated and to expire June 9, 2019, noted that the matter will become an academic exercise if not quickly concluded.

The group lamented that the appeal which was entered since March 10, 2017 at the Court of Appeal in Calabar has continue to linger up to seven months.
The group also noted the continuous participation of Mr Bassey Akpan in the Senate proceedings in spite of the court judgement as illegal.

The lower court had its the judgment over a pre-election dispute between a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Bassey Etim and Senator Bassey Akpan, over who was the authentic candidate of the party for the senatorial seat, specifically held that Bassey Akpan had wrongly and illegally represented the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly for 628 days.
But Bassey Akpan who was dissatisfied with the judgment had filed an appeal which has continued to linger for about seven months

Francesca Iwambe- Abuja