The crisis in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has taken a dangerous twist as the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has taken over the complex in a move that may enable five lawmakers to remove the Speaker, Onofiok Luke.
Currently, armed police and operatives of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have cordoned off the assembly complex against lawmakers and staff.
A source in the assembly said the action is a precursor to a plot by five lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant to stage a coup against the leadership of the assembly.
“As I speak, the assembly has been locked down and the police and civil defence have taken over the place,” a staff who pleaded not to be named said.
Attempt to speak with Mr. Luke failed as he would not pick repeated calls and or respond to text messages.
But the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Ini Ememobong, confirmed the siege on the assembly in a telephone interview with our correspondent.
“I can tell you that the assembly complex has been taken over by security operatives and I had raised concerns about that earlier in the week.
“The National Chairman of the APC (All Progressives Congress) had on Monday complained that the former commissioner of police took sides with our party and effected the removal of the man,” Mr. Ememobong said.
Asked whether there is any subsisting court order stopping the assembly from sitting, Mr. Ememobong said there was none.
“We learnt Idongesit Ituen went to the Federal High Court on Monday to file an order for stay of execution of the judgement that sacked him from the assembly but the court did not rule on it,” Mr. Ememobong continued.
“The matter was only filed and a hearing was fixed for November 28. We have not been able to get the speaker of the state house of assembly till now and we don’t know what has happened to him.”
But the APC spokesperson, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, said the party uncovered plans to attack the assembly by unsuspecting persons.
In a statement forwarded to this newspaper, Mr. Enyongekere said the PDP’s allegation that the APC was behind the youth who invaded the assembly is false and ill-conceived.
“It still remains a matter of doubt if desperation to hold on to power could actually push the PDP to concoct such trash from the pit of hell for the sake of misleading the citizens and offending the sensibility of the public,” he stated.
“The PDP should know that APC as a party which believes in the rule of law and due process cannot condescend from its pedestal of integrity to wallow in the mire of illegalities and responsibilities with the PDP – a party that has no room for decency.
“We expect the law to take its course in what is happening in our state house of assembly.
“Meanwhile, we are watching the unfolding scenarios in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly with great concern. At the appropriate time, the party will make its position categorically clear.
“For now, we call on our members within and outside Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to be law-abiding while the matter is being reported to the security agencies to maintain peace in the state as this is our major concern as the party of change.
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“APC, as a democratic party, will never resort to the use of force, violence or tow the path of war in its effort to accede any political party.
“Our plan for the taking over from the already failed government is going to be through genuine democratic processes as outlined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The First Casualty
The crisis in the state on Tuesday claimed its first casualty as the IGP speedily removed the commissioner, John Abang.
In his place, the Hyelasinda Musa Kimo was named as the new police boss and he promptly reported for duty.
Trouble might have started for Mr. Abang when he failed to stop the assembly from sitting and declaring vacant, the seats of five members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A Federal High Court in Uyo had the previous week declared the seat of the member from Itu State Constituency, Idongesit Ituen, vacant for defecting to a new party when there was no crisis in his former party.
The irony of the court decision was Mr. Ituen initiated the action apparently, to protect himself from being kicked out of the state legislature.
However, the ruling turned out against his interest and probably informed the decision of the majority of the lawmakers to remove the defectors.
And so early on Monday, the Speaker of the assembly, Onofiok Luke, during a special sitting, approved the motion to declare the seats of the defecting members vacant.
