By Edet Dickson

The journey in search of justice by the opposition parties in the state which commenced in February, 2008 on the constitutionality for the dissolution and reconstitution of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission, AKISIEC by the state government, yesterday came to a close when the court delivered the long awaited judgment.
Delivering the judgment yesterday, the Acting Chief Judge of the state who presides over Uyo High Court No. 1 Justice Idongesit Ntem Isua, maintained that the plaintiffs had no locus standi to bring the action against the state government. The judge held that the plaintiffs had not shown sufficient interest nor shown the damage they were likely going to suffer from the composition of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission, AKISIEC, in respect of the June 7, 2008 local government polls, as they contended in their writ of originating summon.
Justice Isua pointed out that the case was incompetent and struck it out accordingly with no cost to either of the party. Reacting to the judgment, the state chairman of the Democratic People Party, Mr. Bassey Eshiet said he was not satisfied with the decision of the court, saying he would appeal against the judgment to ascertain if they had no locus standi to challenge what he called 'unlawful reconstitution of AKISIEC'.
On his part, the state chairman of African Democratic Congress Mr. Emmanuel Okon said unless he challenges the judgment in a high court, he would not know if the judge did not err in law. Also reacting, the chapter chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party ANPP, in Esit Eket Chief Effiang Akai said he was going to meet his lawyer to find out if the judge has erred in law, and if she has erred, he was going to appeal against the judgment.
Jeremiah Udo Akpan who represented the chapter chairman of All Nigeria People Party in Ibiono Ibom L.G.A felt that the judgment was politically motivated to scheme out other political parties in the system, saying he was going to challenge the judgment in a higher court. For Mr. Idopise Walter who is the chapter chairman of All Nigeria People Party, ANPP, Nsit Ubium L.G.A. the judgment is in error. He said he did not believe that they did not have the locus standi to prosecute the matter, stressing that he would appeal against the judgment.
Speaking to our reporter on phone yesterday, the lead counsel to the plaintiffs chief Anselem Eyo said they were going to appeal. It would be recalled that the opposition political parties in the state in suit No. HU/55/08 sued the state governor and others over the dissolution and reconstitution of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission, AKISIEC.
Among the relief sought, they prayed the court to declare that the dissolution or purported dissolution on 22/11/2007 of AKISIEC which was constituted on 2/6/06 was in breach of the provisions of the constitutions of the federal Republic of Nigeria and the respective AKISIEC law 2003 or 2007 and therefore unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.