SAN FRANCISCO, November 23, (THEWILL) – The Police on Friday ended their siege on the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as all entrances to the complex, which had been barricaded since Tuesday morning, are now open.
THEWILL recalls that the police had on Wednesday sealed off the House of Assembly after youths protested the sack of a lawmaker, Idongesit Ituen.
Ituen, who represents the Itu State Constituency, was sacked by a Federal High Court for defecting from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the sitting of the House on Monday morning, the Speaker, Onofiok Luke, declared the seats of four other lawmakers, who defected from the PDP to the APC, vacant.
The lawmakers are Nse Ntuen, who represented Essien Udim State Constituency; Gabriel Toby, Etim Ekpo/Ika; Otobong Ndem, Mkpat Enin; and Victor Udofia, Ikono.
But the five sacked lawmakers later met to remove Luke as speaker. They elected one of them, Nse Ntuen (Essien Udim State Constituency) to replace him.