Court upturns sack of 5 Akwa Ibom Assembly members

By Isaac Job, Uyo

A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo on Monday ordered the immediate recall of members of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly whose seats were declared vacant by the Speaker, Onofiok Luke. 

The court also ruled that their sack by the speaker was illegal, null and void and therefore, ordered their immediate reinstatement. 

It would be recalled that the speaker of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly had on November 19, 2018, declared the seats of Nse Ntuen, Victor Udofia, Idongesit Ituen, Gabriel Toby and Otobong Ndem vacant following their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ruling in the suit, FHC/UY/CS/171, Justice F. O. Riman ordered the management of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly to pay the entitlements of the affected lawmakers from the date it was stopped till date.

Justice Riman also ruled that the affected lawmakers should be allowed access to their offices, the chamber and participation in all legislative proceedings. 

The judge who said the sack of the members who defected to the APC was illegal, ruled that they were still bonafide members of the state House of Assembly until otherwise ruled by the court. 

According to him, the speaker acted illegally by declaring the seats of the lawmakers vacant while the matter was still pending in court and ruled that the action of the speaker on November 19, 2018 as it affected the lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC was null, void and of no consequence.