C'River Speaker Impeachment Crisis Deepens As APC's Stalwart Approaches Court
By Missang AKPET
The legal battle to remove the Cross River State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Elvert Ayambem Ekom, has continued to gather momentum as another activist, Mr. Joseph Odey, has approached the court seeking an order to stop Ayambem from parading himself as the Speaker.
Odey, a youth activist and a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has in a suit No. HC/166/2024 against the Governor of Cross River State, the state, the Clerk of the state House of Assembly and its 25 Members is praying the court to uphold the impeachment of the Speaker which declares the seat of the speaker vacant until an election for a new speaker is conducted in line with the standing rules of the house of assembly.
ALSO READ: BREAKING: Cross River State Speaker Impeached Over Alleged Gross Misconduct
Odey is also seeking a declaration that the Speaker, remains removed, and desist to be recognized as Speaker of the 10th Assembly.
Others prayers are that the Court "upholds democratic principles, Cross River State must follow proper procedures in selecting its Speaker in line with the laid down rules of the House of Assembly for itself in 2011.
"The impeachment of Hon. Elvert Ayambem is lawful, but his continued role as Speaker is not because he was not re-elected according to the Assembly’s rules. The Speaker cannot be chosen outside the House chamber.
"Governance requires following laid down rules and processes. Cross River State is at risk of governmental disruption due to the absence of a duly elected Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Without a validly elected Speaker, the laws passed by the House are invalid which hinders the Governor’s ability to govern effectively."
Explaining the legislative procedures, Odey said a new speaker must be elected into office after impeachment and not selected, appointed or re-appointed.
"After Mr. Elvert’s impeachment, a formal election must take place within the Assembly to determine the new Speaker.
"To safeguard good governance and democracy, I have brought motions before the Cross River State High Court asking the Court to 'restrain government officials from recognising Mr. Ayambem was Speaker until this matter was heard and decided by the Court.
"A properly functioning legislature is necessary for effective governance and the progress of our state and I believe that the Court, in its wisdom, will ensure that we get a properly functioning House of Assembly once again.”
Recall that members of the Cross River State House of Assembly had On May 22, 2024, moved a motion for the impeachment of the speaker of the 10th assembly Hon. Elvert Ayambem Ekom.
The motion was moved by Member representing Calabar South 1 Hon. Effiong Ekarika and seconded by Hon. Charles Omang representing Bekwarra State Constituency, affirmed by 17 members out of the 25 members of the state assembly with allegations of misconduct, incompetence and financial mismanagement.
Although a release by the chief press secretary to the speaker Mathew Okache on May 27 2024 after a meeting of the 25 lawmakers and the state governor Senator Bassey Otu stated that Speaker Ayambem has been unanimously reaffirmed as Speaker of the tenth Assembly.
