… Maintains Sen. Akpabio Is The Authentic Leader of APC in A’Ibom
TheHILL | POLITICS | OCTOBER 27.
The Member who represented Ikono State Constituency in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2019; Rt. Hon. Victor Udofia, has attributed the ongoing upheaval in Ikono Legislative Council to the handiwork of paymasters in the area.
Udofia, who headed House Committees on Security, Youth and Sports and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said this on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, while briefing newsmen on facts surrounding the impeachment notice served the Ikono Legislative Council Leader, Hon. Nsikak Ntok.
It would be recalled that eight (8) of the twelve (12) Lawmakers in Ikono Legislative Council had on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, signed a vote of no confidence/notice of impeachment against the Council Leader, Hon. Nsikak Ntok, accusing him of negligence of duty, refusal to convene regular legislative sittings, and marginalization.
However, Rt. Hon. Victor Udofia who faulted the notice argued that Hon. Nsikak Ntok remains the constitutional Leader of Ikono Legislative Council if the laid down process of impeachment is not duly followed.
“The Leader of the legislature has not been impeached because there is always a process of electing the leader of the Legislator. There is also a procedure in the process of removing such a person. As such, 8 people cannot sit somewhere to sign an impeachment notice and then, declare it valid”, he said.
Speaking on the allegations listed in the impeachment notice, one of which was the Council Leader’s “negligence of duty and blatant refusal to convene regular legislative sittings”, the former parliamentarian questioned the Councillors for concluding that Hon. Ntok had not met the required sittings for the Council when the legislative year was still on. He then observed that the legislative crisis was not Party-based but a play-out of paymasters in the area.
“The incident is not an issue of PDP or APC because all the members of the Council are of the PDP rather, it is the making of some pay masters in the area”, he noted.
Udofia who said anyone seeking justice must go with clean hands hinted that, before a Leader of the Legislative Council could be removed from office, there are procedures that must be followed and that, the authority of the House; the Mace must be present, the Clerk of the House as well as Serjeant-at-Arms, are important personalities that must attend the day’s plenary. He added that the motion of an impeachment must be duly moved and seconded with the support of two third majority giving a nod with ayes voice vote, thereafter the impeached Leader would vacate before an election of a new Leader would be conducted by the Clerk of the House. Udofia noted that the Clerk would at the end of the sitting transmit the impeachment notice to the Chairman of the Council, the Divisional Police officer (DPO) and other relevant authorities. He stated that the following procedures and others were not followed in the Ikono case.
The Ibiaku Ntok Okpo in Ikono LGA born business mogul, however, charged the ‘pay masters’ to desist from divisive tendencies in the area and rather support the growth and progress of the legislature.
“Those in the seat of power should not be power drunk because of their seat and power. Power comes and goes. They should rather think of attracting dividends of democracy to the place for which they will be remembered after their tenures”, he advised.
Meanwhile, Rt. Hon. Victor Udofia has maintained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State would put its house in order. He said this while reacting to the outcome of the State Congress election of the party.
The two-time Lawmaker who maintained that Senator Godswill Akpabio is the State Leader of the Party encouraged APC faithful not to be hopeless in view of the present divisions.
His words: “Is there any place that there is no disagreement?” he asked rhetorically, adding: “I am sure you all are Christians and the Bible says there was a disagreement in Heaven which led to war and after that war there was lasting peace till today, read Revelation 12 verse 7 to 12. So, I am of the opinion that APC will put its house in order and choose the path of unity”, he stated.
Do you have any useful information or Ads for us? Send to, [email protected] or our WhatsApp news line; 08022878104.
