Protesters invade Akwa Ibom House of Assembly complex to condemn lawmaker's sack

Police officers were forced to barricade the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly complex on Monday, November 19, 2018, as its surrounding area was surrounded by protesters who condemned the dismissal of a lawmaker.

Idongesit Ituen (Itu constituency) was recently sacked as a member of the Assembly by the Federal High Court in Uyo following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The court directed the Assembly to declare Ituen's seat vacant.

Ituen had filed the suit in September to pre-empt House Speaker, Onofiok Luke, from declaring his seat vacant after his defection but lost in the court's ruling that was announced last week.

With expectations that Luke would officially declare Ituen's seat vacate during Monday's plenary, a crowd of youths, identified as APC members, mobilised for a demonstration at the complex.

According to a report by Premium Times, the protesters carried placards calling on the assembly to reinstate the sacked lawmaker. They also set up bonfires on the road leading to the Assembly complex, thereby obstructing the free flow of traffic.

When Luke arrived on the scene and attempted to address the crowd, they were unreceptive and stoned his convoy when he later left the complex.

Premium Times also reported that the police officers attached to the Speaker fired into the air to repel the protesters before the convoy sped off while officers on the scene also fired teargas to disperse the protesters.

Ituen' s lawyer, Uyo-Obong Jumbo, had disclosed last week that the lawmaker would file an appeal against the ruling, including an application for a stay of execution of the judgment.