Appeal Court Terminate Obong Of Calabar Kingship.

It was at last led to rest ,the judgement of Appeal court which yesterday in Calabar ,confirmed the removal of  Etubom Ekpo Okon  Abasi Otu from his kingship as Obong of Calabar.

             The judgement who was presided by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba and confirmed by Justice Uzo Ndukwe-Anyawu and Onyekachi Otisi ,re-confirmed the earlier judgement of the lower court ,that there was no due process in the selection of the Obong of Calabar ,abd that as such ,it remain null and void.    

  The Calabar High Court presided over by Justice Obgojor Ogar had in a judgment on January 30, 2012, brought by one of his opponent  to the Obong stool, Etubom Anthony Ani, declared the election that brought the Obong to the throne as null and void and stop Otu from participating in any selection for that purpose.

 Justice Ogar had prevented both  the Obong of Calabar ,Etubom Traditional council  from removing  Etubom Anthony Ani and Mbiabo Ikoneto from any election or selection of an Obong.

  In an abridged 94 page judgment that lasted for 45 minutes, Justice Garba said, “for the breach of principles of natural justice and the first respondent’s (Etubom Anthony Ani) right to fair hearing, the selection process conducted by the appellants which culminated in the selection and proclamation of the 6th respondent (Otu) by the Etubom’s Council represented by the appellants is hereby declared null and void..

  The appellate court who ruled that, “the 1st respondent who admittedly was not capped/inducted into the Etubom’s Council of the palace of the Obong at the time of the selection process of the Obong of Calabar was not traditionally qualified and eligible to vote and be voted for as the Obong of Calabar under exhibit 1/20.

  “That the 6th respondent was traditionally qualified and eligible to vote and be voted for as the Obong of Calabar under exhibit 1/20 at the time of the selection process”.

  Reacting to the judgment, Ani said, “I was not in court and my lawyer just briefed me. So far, I see the ruling as 50-50 affair. I will look at it, see how it affects me and may be appeal the judgment. However, one thing we are sure of for now is that there is no Obong of Calabar because the judgment today has nullified the entire processes. For the Efik people now, there is no Obong”.

 Due process is always the best way to follow in executing any project no matter how tough and stressful that it is, it is always adviced to follow the due process in doing what ever you want to do.

  In defying to it ,you must have to start from the beginning after you might have been through.