22/05/2022
ATTENTION:
Having seen the enrolled order in suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/606/22 between Hon. Friday Iwok and ors vs INEC and ors and the ruling on the application for a rejoinder, which appears to be the only application heard on that day.
On the 18th May, 2022, When the case came up for hearing, an application for rejoinder of the over 900 Ad-hoc delegates as defendants was heard and granted.
The learned trial judge, said, "It will be in the interest of justice that parties maintain Status Quo Ante Bellum pending the hearing and determination of this suit".
I have decided to sought legal opinions from learned counsels as per the implications of the judgement by the trial judge, and therefore decide to act as follows:
1. As a law abiding citizen, it will amount to defiling court order if I participate in today's primaries to elect a candidate of our great party PDP for House of Assembly.
2. I am also advising all my supporters, delegates, critical stakeholders, to respect the RULE OF LAW.
3. I appeal to all my teeming supporters, admirers, community leaders and party faithfuls to remain calm pending the determination of the cases in court, (I. case in the Federal High Court, Abuja. (II) Appeal by the defense counsel, Paul Usoro, SAN)
4. As pronounced in a pretoria of cases, that the purpose for an order of Status Quo is to maintain the subject matter of the law suit from being wasted, extinguished or tempered with by the disputants while trial is pending. In the instant case, what is sought to be preserved by the order of Status Quo is the list of Ad-hoc delegates.
From this jurisprudential prism, no party, in my view as a lay man, is entitle to make use of the Ad-hoc delegates for the primaries pending hearing and determination of the main suit.
I, Hon. Ekanem Willie, therefore state unequivocally that I will not participate in the process that appears to be illegal. IT IS EXPLICIT THAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN WITHDRAWAL. I remain very loyal to our great party PDP and the Leader of our Party His Excellency Mr. Udom Emmanuel.
Hon. Ekanem Willie,
for Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly,
Eket State Constituency.