The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, has been removed by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ordered the kingmakers and Traditional Rulers’ Council to promptly convene a new selection process to replace the deposed Obong of Calabar in a decision rendered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba.
The court determined that the 2002 Palace constitution should be followed while conducting the new selection.
Etubom Anthony Ani, a former minister of finance under the late Gen. Sani Abacha government, and others were sued by Otu and others in their roles as members of the Etuboms’ Traditional Council for abandoning the Western Calabar screening process in a lawsuit brought by his lead attorney, Joe Agi, SAN.
The court 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 was not traditionally qualified and eligible to vote and be voted for as the Obong of Calabar under Exhibit 1/20.
“That the 1st Appellant (Abasi Otu) 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”, hence the Appeal court set aside the selection process that produced Etubom Ani as candidate and also set aside the March 31 proclamation of Etubom Abasi Otu as Obong Ordered by the Etuboms’ Conclave of the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, whose mandate it is under Article 5(a) (ii) (iv) of Exhibit 1/20, to do so and it “to conduct another process of selecting a new Obong of Calabar, in accordance with the provisions of Exhibit 1/20 and in strict compliance with the rules of natural justice”.
The deposed Obong is still eligible to take part in the selection procedures and is still eligible to receive votes, according to the court ruling by Justice Amina Augie and read by Justice Akomoye Agim.
The Obong, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, will step down for a new selection process for the fourth time.