Imported User:
Sen. Helen Esuene on Friday joined residents of Eket, Akwa-Ibom to hail the Supreme Court judgement recognising Mr Dan Abia Jnr as the representative of Eket Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The apex court had earlier in the day removed Mr Eseme Eyibo as the representative of the constituency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had in a Judgement on Jan. 26 ordered the removal of Eyibo as the member representing Eket Federal Constituency and immediate swearing in of Abia. Eseme appealed the ruling.
Reacting to the judgement, Esuene, who represents Akwa Ibom South in the Senate said that with Abia’s victory, light had triumphed over darkness.
``Truth cannot be trampled upon in all seasons; ‘smart guys’ are advised to walk straight. Integrity pays, to God be the glory,” she said.
Also reacting, Dan Abia Snr, a former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom, said the judgement had re-affirmed the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.
``The judgement has shown that there is still hope for Nigeria; it re-affirmed the wishes of the people and that was why there is wild jubilation across Eket when the judgment was delivered in January.
``Eseme Eyiboh has merely exercised his right of appeal at the Supreme Court since the matter is a pre-election litigation and the law allows it, but we are happy that the apex court has delivered justice to the wishes of the electorate who voted for Dan Abia Jnr.
``The judgement has restored the confidence of the people in the electoral process by revalidating the mandate of the electorate as expressed in the result of the elections,’’ he said.
The Chairman-elect of Esit Eket Local Government Area, Chief Ibanga Etang, also commended the judiciary for the judgment, which he said was a victory for the electorate.
Etang said the decision of the court was welcome by members of the constituency who took to the streets to celebrate the judgment in January.
``The judgement has shown that truth is constant and does not change, we are happy that the people of Eket have regained the mandate they freely gave to Dan Abia Jnr to represent them at the House of Representatives.
