Cross River State ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has floored state opposition party, the All Progressives Congress APC at the Federal High Court sitting today in Calabar.
Barrister Utum Eteng, a seasoned human right activist, who is leading other APC lawyers, challenged the legality of the decision of Governor Benedict Ayade.
Barrister Eteng cited the ruling of the Supreme Court in Ekiti State which ruled that the appointments of caretaker committees in Ekiti State by Governor Ayo Fayose was illegal and unconstitutional.
Citing the Supreme Court ruling, Barrister Utum Eteng moved a motion for an injunction to bar the caretaker committee from functioning. The motion was granted.
However, the Cross River State Government, led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Justice Joe Abang, and other 20 lawyers, challenged the injunction imposed on the caretaker committees by APC led Counsel, Barr Eteng.
The Cross River State lead counsel who admitted the challenge of the APC that Governor Ayade can't appoint HOLGA to do the work of elected council officials, argued that the State acted under the doctrine of necessity largely because the State has no funds. Albeit, Barr Eteng countered that the state has all the funds it needed to conduct the elections as federal government paid N11.3 Billion Naira to the State in January and another tranche of N54 billion.
The implication of the ruling is that Gov. Ayade is free to constitute caretaker committees across the 18 LGAs of the State. Who knows whether the suspended elections by CROSIEC will still hold after INEC's Continuous Voters Registration exercise.
More details to come up soon.
