By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja
The International Human Rights and Anti- Corruption Society, IHRAS, has called for transparency and integrity in dispensation of Justice over Akwa Ibom North East senatorial tussle pending before the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal.
In an interim report sent to the President of Court of Appeal, calling for a speedy hearing of the matter, the group Secretary, Barrister Lennox Kachina, commended the Honourable Justices in ensuring that the Appeal was compressed and expeditiously heard when it came up on Monday 13 November 2017 as the Appellant was attempting to frustrate the hearing.
A Federal High Court in Uyo, presided over by Justice F.O. Rima' on 27Feb 2017, delivered a well considered Judgement in a pre election matter that lasted for about 2 years in Courts and annull the Certificate of Return of Senator Bassey Akpan and ordered INEC to issued a fresh Certificate of Return to Hon Bassey Etim. INEC accordingly complied.
In view of an effort to prevent injustice, IHRAS was granted an observation status by the President Court of Appeal following their request.
The IHRACS while expressing concern over the life span of the current 8th National Assembly is 1,460 days, commencing from June 9, 2015 when it was inaugurated, to expire June 9, 2019 noted that the matter will become an academic exercise if not quickly dispense of.
The group lamented that the appeal which was entered since March 10,2017 at the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal has continue to linger up to 7 months.
The group also noted the continuous participation of Mr Bassey Akpan in the Senate Proceedings inspire of the Court Judgement as illegal.
The high court, in the judgment on a pre-election dispute between a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Etim and Senator Akpan, over who was the authentic candidate of the party for the senatorial seat, specifically held that Akpan had wrongly and illegally represented the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly for 628 days.
Akpan who was dissatisfied with the judgment had filed an appeal which has continued to linger for about 7 months.
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