Injustice: Accord Party Gives AKHA 48 Hours To Recall Sacked Lawmakers

In the interest of peace, justice and democracy, a  third force political party in Akwa Ibom State has called on the leadership and members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to rescind the  purported decision that vacant the  seats  of Members representing Ikono State Constituency, Honourable Nana Asuquo and his Esit Eket counterpart, Dr Usoro Akpan Usoh, within 48 hours.

Accord stated further that the action of the Assembly's leadership is a recipe for crisis which  should be averted by recalling the members concerned, restoring their full rights and responsibilities.

The party noted that the majority Peoples Democratic Party membership of  the House is insincere in its judgment because when a member defected from other political parties to the PDP they welcomed such member with celebration, citing the case of the Member representing Mbo  State Constituency, Chief Effiong Johnson who was rewarded with a ticket as standard bearer of the PDP in the 2023 AKHA race for defecting from APC to PDP.

Accord pointed out that the Members of the Assembly must recognize that Akwa Ibom is not a one party state and it is the lawful right of citizens as enshrined in the constitution to belong to a party of their choices.

Speaking with The Eyes Newspaper Legislative Correspondent in Uyo, the State Chairman of Accord, Rt Hon Martins Inyang described as bias and ignominious, the action of the Speaker of the State Assembly, Mr Aniekan Bassey, explaining that people have unreserved fundamental right of association and movement.

The Accord helmsman regretted what he described as backwardness and a time bomb, a situation where a supposed representative of the people can no longer stand on the side of justice and equity, adding that with the crop of  members in the 7th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the state is only waiting for a future fall.

"What is going on in a State we all callour own.? The Member representing Mbo State Constituency defected from his party APC to PDP, and was given the party ticket to run for a second term in the same Assembly. But when others defected from PDP to the party of their choices, the Speaker has the audacity to declare their seats vacant? How can anyone explain this in this age of great enlightenment?"

Dr. Usoro Akpan Uso, Member representing Esit Eket state constituency

"As a political party in this State, we are giving Mr Aniekan Bassey, Speaker of the  Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, 48 Hours to as a matter of urgency, recall those lawmakers, or prepare to meet us in the court of competent jurisdiction. I am very serious about this.?"

"We cannot continue to keep quiet and watch things go the wrong direction. Enough of the injustice."

Chief Effiong Johnson, member representing Mbo State Constituency &new bride of PDP

Recall that the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr Aniekan Bassey during Tuesday September 20th Plenary declared vacant, the seats of the members representing Ikono State Constituency, Honourable Asuquo Nana and that of Esit Eket, Dr Usoro Akpan Uso for defecting to the opposition Young Progressives Party ( YPP).

Asuquo Nana better known as ‘Mbakara’ is in Canada alongside some of his colleagues for a legislative conference as approved by Speaker Aniekan Bassey.

Meanwhile, members of the public have questioned why the seat of Chief Effiong Johnson has not been equally declared vacant by the Speaker of the State Assembly. 

Chief Johnson who was the lone APC member in the Assembly since 2019 officially defected to PDP in May 2022. He subsequently got a second term ticket for Mbo State Constituency under PDP same month. 

A precedence on this was established in 2014 when  the seats of some members who joined Obong Umana Okon Umana in APC were declared vacant by the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sam Ikon. 

Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke followed suit in 2018 when he declared the seats of Hon. Idongesit Ituen, Nse Ntuen and two others vacant. The quartet had joined Senator Godswill Akpabio in APC.