Supreme Court Dethrones Obong Of Calabar, Affirms Namadi As Jigawa APC Guber Candidate

The Supreme Court yesterday dethroned the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V.

The judgement which was delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba ordered the kingmakers and traditional rulers’ council to conduct a fresh selection to produce another Obong.

The judgment written by Justice Amina Augie and read by Justice Akomoye Agim however said the dethroned Obong can still contest for the position.

The residence of the dethroned Obong was  calm yesterday despite the judgement.

At the compound in Adiabo village in Calabar, some top members of the Etubom council were seen jubilating over the pronouncement of the court that the dethroned king could still  participate in the nomination process.

Etubom Anthony Ani and others had  in Suit No. HC/102/2008,  through his  counsel, Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, sued Etubom Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu and others in their capacities as members of the Etubom Traditional Council for jettisoning the screening process of Western Calabar under the then chairman, Etubom Abasi-Otu that screened and selected Etubom Ani as their sole candidate.

Irked by the development, Ani, a former minister of finance, went to court to seek redress.

Chairman of Etubom Traditional Council, Etubom Bassey Okor Bassey Duke, said they were  yet to get full brief of the Supreme  Court judgement.

He said: “So far, so good, we are confident that the Obong of Calabar will remain and peace will continually prevail in the kingdom.”

The  judgement brought ended the 15-year legal battle purporting to sack  the Obong of Calabar  in a matter which began  from the High Court.

Similarly, the legal tussle over the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa State was yesterday laid to rest by the Supreme which declared the incumbent deputy governor, Umar Namadi, as the lawful candidate.

The court in a unanimous judgment prepared by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun upheld the primary election conducted on May 26 which produced Namadi as the winner.

In the judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the appeal filed by Farouk Adamu Aliyu, a former minority leader of the House of Representatives was dismissed in its entirety.

The five justices of the court who heard the case unanimously agreed with lawyers to the respondents, Mr Lateef Fagbemi and Yakubu Ruba, both senior advocates, that the case was frivolous, baseless and lacked merit and substance.

Namadi through his counsel, Mr  Fagbemi, had won the legal battle at the Federal High Court in Dutse as well as at the Court of Appeal in Kano.

In his reaction after the court judgement, Hon Faruku Adamu Aliyu who was also among the party aspirants during the primary election said he accepted the court ruling and promised to work for APC victory at all levels.

“I am an APC member and I believe in the rule of law, that is why I took my case to court, with the outcome, I rest my case and I will join  my hands for my party’s victory.

“I will work for Tinibu/Shatim, I will work for Umar Namadi and all my party candidates as I believe in no other party than the APC, equally I urge my supporters to remain calm and work for our great party.”