The Supreme Court has delivered a ruling that sacked the Obong of Calabar, Édidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu.
The ruling was written by Justice Amina Ahgid and delivered by Justice Akomoye Agim, on Friday
The ruling upheld a much earlier ruling by the Appeal Court in Calabar which held that the selection process where Abasi-Otu emerged was filled with irregularities.
Delivering judgment on June 4, 2013, the then Lead Judge, Justice Garba Lawal ordered that “the 1st Respondent (Etubom Ani) who admittedly was not capped/inducted into the Etuboms’ Council of the Palace of the Obong by 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.”
Etubom Anthony Ani and others through his lead counsel Joe Agi, SAN, sued Etubom Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu and others in their capacities as members of the Etuboms’ Traditional Council for abandoning the screening process of the Western Calabar under the then Chairman, Etubom Abasi-Otu, now the Obong of Calabar, that had screened and selected Etubom Ani as their single candidate.
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The ruling which was delivered yesterday also asserted that Abasi-Otu could still contest and vote in the newly ordered election.
This fresh ruling has put an end to a decade-long legal battle.
