Police prevents fracas at A’Ibom Assembly as Speaker declares 5 seats vacant
Earlier on Monday morning, the Police authorities in Akwa Ibom, contained a violent move by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by an opposition political party to raze down the State House of Assembly complex located along Udo Udoma Road, in Uyo, the capital.
This is as the Speaker Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke also declared vacant five seats belonging to Itu, Etim Ekpo/Ika, Ikono, Mkpat Enin, and Essien Udim state constituencies in line with section 109 sub 1G of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The State PDP had, in the early hours of the same day, issued a press release alerting the public of an intelligence report pointing to a planned attack on the Assembly complex. According to the release, the motive of the thugs was to forestall the Speaker Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke from declaring vacant the seat of a sacked member, Idongesit Ituen, representing Itu State Constituency.
The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, last week, ruled in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ordering the AKHA to declare Idongesit Ituen’s seat vacant. The Court held that Ituen had no reason to have defected from his former party as there was no division in the party. Ironically, it was Ituen himself who took the matter to the court.
However, some say the thugs were engaged to disrupt the House’s sitting following plans to deliberate on a motion to honour former Governor Victor Attah, who clocks 80 years tomorrow, by naming either the Ibom International Airport or the State University after him.
Hoodlums were reported to have attempted to block the entrance to the Assembly when the police who were on red alert confronted and dislodged them paving way for the House to settle down to the day’s business.
The PDP in a second release for the day, noted: “We had earlier alerted in the early hours of today that the APC was planning to prevent the sitting of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, using thugs. Confirming our intelligence, before 7am buses bearing insignia of the opposition APC led by known chieftains of their political coven appeared at the gate of the Assembly and set up bonfire, preventing human and vehicular traffic and seeking to prevent the lawful business of the state legislature. Luckily the police intervened and the Speaker led members into the Chambers and resumed legislative duties.”
The House has since adjourned till November 27.
