Withdraw your lawyer, senator tells INEC

August 18, 2015 : Mudiaga Affe 2 Comments

Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. Aminat Zakari

The senator representing Cross River-South senatorial district in the Senate, Gershom Bassey, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the lawyer representing the commission at the state election petitions tribunal sitting in Calabar.

Bassey, who is the 1st respondent in the petition filed by Senator Bassey Otu, said he was disappointed by the attitude of the INEC lawyer, Mr. Eni Okoi.

Otu, who is the candidate of the Labour Party for the senatorial district in the March 28 National Assembly election, is challenging the victory of Bassey, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, with INEC as the 3rd respondent.

In a letter written on July 18 and addressed to the chairman of INEC, Bassey contended that the INEC lawyer was showing preference for the petitioner.

But Okoi had, in an earlier petition written to the Chairman of INEC on July 6, alleged that Bassey had been harassing him over what he referred to as an attempt to perfect an inglorious and unethical act.

Bassey had stated partly in his petition that, “My specific complaints are that Mr. Okoi is always late to the tribunal sittings and on one of such occasions, the tribunal openly admonished him for having a penchant for coming late.

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“Furthermore, Mr. Okoi, on several occasions, has refused to attend meetings with other respondents’ counsel. He rather chooses to attend meetings with the petitioners’ counsel, whose case is at variance with the respondents.

“He refused to file a counter affidavit in opposition to the damaging affidavit in support of the petitioner’s motion to admit forensic evidence and additional witness statement filed on June 25, 2015. This is despite the petitioners’ allegations in paragraph 3-8 against INEC requiring his response.”

Bassey said he had lost confidence in the ability and competence of Okoi to effectively represent the commission in the defence of the petition challenging his election.

“I am, therefore, left with no other option than to formally write to complain and appeal to you to replace Okoi with any other competent lawyer of your choice,” Bassey stated.

However, in a petition written on his behalf by Sony Mgbe and Associates, Okoi stated in part, “I am now writing in my capacity as the INEC counsel on the aforementioned petition to complain about the incessant harassment of myself by the first respondent, his agent.

“The 1st respondent had personally called my mobile phone lines at several times on July 3, 2015 and July 4, 2015 to insist that we meet in his residence at Asari Iso in Calabar to perfect an inglorious and unethical act of stepping down for a SAN to lead me in the tribunal against contemplation of my brief.”