Five sacked lawmakers from the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Monday evening claimed they have elected a member representing Essien Udim state Constituency, Mr. Nse Ntuen, as their new Speaker.
The seats of the five lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress had earlier in the day been declared vacant by the Assembly under the leadership Onofiok Luke, the Speaker.
Speaking with journalists in Uyo on Monday evening, factional Speaker Ntuen said the decision to change the Speaker followed members’ lack of confidence in the ability of Mr. Luke to lead the Assembly.
Ntuen said the process that led to their purported sack was illegal, null and void, as there were subsisting court orders even as the House rules and procedures were not duly and legally followed.