It has become imperative for us to jointly address our people and the nation on recent developments in Akwa Ibom State as it relates to the post- general elections petitions. We are compelled to speak out, for failure to do so, would mean acquiescence to what is patently an illegal act.
We woke up to the shocking news of the clearly contrived relocation of the Akwa Ibom Elections Petitions Tribunal which was hitherto sitting in Uyo to Abuja, without any convincing, honest and tenable reason to warrant such movement. We are concerned that, those behind this development have alleged threats and security concerns in a blind bid to justify their barely concealed intentions.
Let it be stated that, whereas, Akwa Ibom State has remained, a haven of peace and a good example of a secure State as compared to other states in the federation, before, during and after the General Elections, the spurious, baseless and false advance, of so-called security concerns, by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) who lost the elections in the State, and the subsequent glee with which her sympathizers have celebrated the movement of the tribunal betrays the hidden agenda of the petitioners.
We consider it rather shocking that an otherwise peaceful and hospitable State like Akwa Ibom could be falsely labeled with insecurity; a state unlike most in the North East, where a clear case of insurgency exists and the scourge of Boko Haram has blighted the region. The lumping of Akwa Ibom State into that category is unfortunate, deceitful and amounts to an affront to common sense and good reasoning.
It is an incontrovertible fact that, the good people of Akwa Ibom have continued to conduct their affairs peacefully and there is no record of any arm of Government, in this particular, the Judiciary, coming under threat or any breach of her sanctity, independence or safety.
Whereas we have absolute confidence in our Judicial system, we still have cause for reservations given the desperation of some vested interests, who have vowed to take over the apparatus of Government in our state, by hook or crook, and plead with the Judiciary not to succumb to their schemes or become a tool in the hands of these undertakers in scuttling the popular will of the people as expressed in the elections of April 11, 2015.
We have pertinent questions as to why this relocation, designed to create confusion should be ordered, being a needless distraction and departure from the transparency that is expected of the judicial process.
- Why are Election Petition Tribunals in the South West not being moved to Abuja?
- What is peculiar about Akwa Ibom State to warrant the pressure and special interests that have since encircled the Election Petitions Tribunal here?
- How do our people cope with the attendant high costs/risk of travelling hundreds of kilometers to move men and materials in furtherance of their obligations arising from the ongoing Elections petitions?
We are therefore tempted to suspect a high level connivance and conspiracy against key Niger Delta states which they have vowed must be conquered and forced under the control of their party.
Whereas, we recognize the rights of aggrieved persons to seek redress in electoral disputes in the lawfully prescribed ways in the Constitution of the federal republic
And whereas, we are not asking the Judiciary not to do its work, we have cause to believe that, this act of relocating the tribunal suggests some impunity and rascality on the part of its masterminds and will ultimately amount to an exercise in futility.
We stand by and affirm our faith in The Constitution, which provides in Section 285 Sub section (2) that: “There shall be established in each state of the Federation one or more Election Tribunals, which shall to the exclusion of any court or tribunal, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy Governor or as a member of any legislative House.”
We hold that, the phrase IN EACH STATE OF THE FEDERATION leaves no lacuna for the jamboree that is playing out at the moment.
We therefore call on the Judiciary to do the right thing by resisting predatory instincts of political manipulators that are hell bent on exploiting the system to achieve their sinister plot of subverting our democracy.
It is instructive that, after APC chieftains, have boasted openly that they would take-over key Niger Delta states including Akwa Ibom and having stretched their propaganda machinery to its limits to garnish their evil scheme, they have now settled to manipulating the judicial process to achieve their goal.
As leaders, we hereby warn that, the patience of our people should not be taken for granted and urge all concerned to desist from actions that may make a mockery of our determined efforts to deepen the ethos of our democracy or cause the relative peace that currently prevails in the region to give way to a return to a phase we thought had successfully been managed.
Let the right thing be done in Akwa Ibom and every form of interference with the judicial process of the elections petition should cease forthwith.
Signed
Senator Anietie Okon
Senator Effiong Bob
Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien
Rt. Hon. (Chief) Nduese Essien
Engr. Larry Esin
Hon. (Prince) Uwem Ita Etuk
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