AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SAGA; A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE OF POLITICAL LUDICROUSNESS.

Sometime about a year ago , after a careful appraisal of political actions and inactions of various political stakeholders in their respective spheres, I scripted a piece wherein I brought to the fore that the Nigerian state is fast emerging as a theatre of political absurdities,

often I wish that such negative trend be halted, however, the recent melodrama and political comedies that the sixth Assembly of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has been involved in recent time shows that silliness in governance in Nigeria is becoming an established norm.

Let me insert a caveat here that my analysis here will likely be elongated but not be coloured by political affiliation and sentiments hence, It becomes pertinent I plead that you fastened your seat belt of expectations towards this issues based excavations as we take off this flight of political discourse and dissection of characters,roles and the possible climax and resolution of this show.

It is not surprising to me that the political ship of Akwa Ibom state is being tossed as the present especially after Chief Godswill Godswill Obot Akpabio moved towards the broom division of political affiliation, he has many supporters and countless followers with arms extending to the State of Assembly and thus it was expected that loyalty and solidarity will be displayed one way or the other.

Hon. Idongesit Ituen displayed that which led to a suit being commenced at the Federal High Court, Uyo presided over by Hon.Justice Riman seeking for a restraining order against the speaker from declaring the seat of the Mr Ituen vacant by virtue of his dumping the political party PDP that sponsored him to office,

as a lawyer I have decided not to delve into some legal issues and the intelligence of commencing that Suit by Originating Summon, since it is known that such a mode of commencement was likely to get the pronouncement of the court very fast,

Bassey Dan-Abia Esq will be swift to remind me that every trial has its game plan, I thought the game plan of that suit was to buy time and Writ of Summons would have done the job and in any case resort would have first been made to the state High court first obviously knowing that the issue of jurisdiction will arise and thus the game would have been sustained.

Yet they chose Federal High Court over State High Court and Originating Summons over Writ of Summons, the defendants counterclaimed against the plaintiff and it succeeded, that's legally novel ! In a political case one ought bebe proactive and expectant of anything.

In fact, who am I to question their decision and their wisdom after all, I promised myself not to give an opinion on the propriety or otherwise of their legal steps and calculations!

Back to our issue of discourse>>>

Finally the court decided against Ituen which led to the speaker declaring his seat vacant amidst social and political controversies and chants of Warsaw saw War or if you like describe it as Warsaw to see War.

Before the respective parties will settle to leak the wounds of defeat and pop their champagne of their Victory, Justice Riman granted a stay of execution, what a judicial waywardness?

In any case, it is a settled law that no matter how wayward and senseless a decision of Court may appear or be, it is still binding on parties until set aside, thus on the strength of this Hon Ituen continues to enjoy his privileges, incentives and office as a Member representing the sunshine people of ITU state Constituency, AKSHA period.

The only option open to Mr Speaker and the House is appeal to the Court of Appeal which I believe their chiefest ground will likely be:

'The trial court erred in Law when he granted the relief of stay of execution against the respondent when the appellant seat had already been declared vacant'

Huh, legal scholars will saturate my inbox with various and recent authorities to the extent that one cannot restrain an already completed act, but that is certainly the Christmas political knot that only the Court of Appeal is clothed with the requisite jurisdiction and capacity to untie at the moment.

The political perspective©

>it is sad when paid political advisers cannot see beyond their nose, they think that being advisers starts and end at being at the bar morning, noon and nights feasting over pots of Ishewu/Nkwobi and whores as loosed gluttonous Canons. That office certainly transcends beyond those mundane things, in Akwa Ibom State political science students can simply come and understudy a classic situation of gross failures of Political Advisers in SAs and PAs in the boardroom of governance with only few exceptions.

I have been trained to interpret political scripts from my infantry days and the ability to identify a script about to unfold has always been an advantage to my clique from time immemorial and this farce and political show happening in Akwa Ibom state is no exception.

Now it has consumed the Indigenous Commissioner of Police that was somehow sympathetic to the Umbrella group, a new CP is here to interpret a script sent to him from above and his ability to effectively interpret same will determine the duration of his stay to help in the general election or not,

Do not take for for granted that Hon. NSE Ntuen emerged as a 'garveless' speaker of a four Man Assembly, obviously that legislative rascality, discard of ethics and abrogation of power cannot survive beyond the realms of social media euphoria but I call for serious and calculated political steps that the aim of declaring a state of emergency or any security sanction against the state will not be achieved as a grand ploy towards 2019 general election,

While we await the Court of Appeal decision, the suspense game continues.

Christian Tom of Counsel writes from Akwa Ibom State this 21st November 2018.

Warsaw saw war and war saw Warsaw