Supreme Court-sacked Obong of Calabar re-emerges as sole candidate in selection process

Sacked Obong of Calabar, His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V has re-emerged as sole candidate in the selection process for a new king of the Efik kingdom in Cross River State, barely hours after a Supreme Court ruling, Friday, had ordered his removal from the throne.

The apex court had, Friday, ruled in favour of the plaintiff, Etubom Anthony Ani, who was seeking removal of the sitting monarch, and the initiation of a fresh selection process for a new king with him as one of the candidates.

However, in its ruling, the apex court in a judgement written by Justice Amina Ahgid and read by Justice Akomoye Agim, while removing Abasi-Otu V as the Obong of Calabar, ordered a fresh selection process.

In a twist, the court disqualified the plaintiff, Etubom Ani from the selection process, while recognizing the eligibility of the sacked monarch to vie for the throne again.

The sacked Obong of Calabar is the sole candidate in the fresh selection process, and is likely to reclaim the throne.

The throne of the Obong has been under litigation for 15 years since 2008 after the current monarch first emerged as the king of the Efik kingdom.

It would be recalled that shortly after the coronation of Edidem Abasi-Otu V as the Obong, Etubom Ani, his opponent, had dragged the new king and others to the High Court of Cross River State, in Suit No. HC/102/2008, filed by his lead counsel, Mr Joe Agi, SAN, and the matter was decided in his favour.

The lower court had set aside the selection of Edidem Abasi-Otu V as the Obong and ordered a fresh selection in which Etubom Ani should be included, but restrained the current Obong from taking part in the selection process.

The ruling was subsequently challenged by the Etubom Traditional Council of the Efik kingdom which headed for the Appeal Court.

The appellant court set aside the judgement of the lower court and ruled that Etubom Ani ‘was not traditionally qualified and eligible to vote and be voted for as the Obong of Calabar under Exhibit 1/20.’

However, the aggrieved Etubom Ani and his legal team headed for the Supreme Court to seek further interpretation of the ruling of Appeal Court.

Reacting, Chairman of Etubom Traditional Council, Etubom Bassey Okor Bassey Duke, who said the palace was yet to get the full brief of the apex court’s verdict, however, expressed confidence that Obong Abasi-Otu V ‘will remain.’

“So far so good and we are confident that the Obong of Calabar will remain and peace will continually prevail in the kingdom.

“We are very happy about the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict. This judgement brings an end to what had happened in the last 14 years.

“Although we are yet to lay hands on it from what we have heard so far, we have reasons to rejoice.

“The reported order for a fresh selection process is not new to us. In 2013, we had a similar verdict and we had to do the bidding of the court, but that does not, in any way, remove our feelings of happiness from us.

“We had known that nobody can remove the Obong of Calabar from his throne. We are happy that it is not what some people prayed for.

“It is something pleasant to us because I know at the end of it all, the Obong will maintain his throne,” he said.