Kunle Edun, Ike Augustine, O. Adams Ochuagu, Emmanuel Ewere, Adedapo Adejumo, have filed a Notice of Appeal against the judgment of Justice S.A Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Calabar dismissing the suit filed by the Applicants to protect the fundamental rights of Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme of the Cross River State Judiciary .

In the Notice of Appeal, the Applicants are challenging the part of the judgement of the trial court which says the Appellants “did not disclose any fact to show that the Respondents based their refusal to confirm Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme as Chief Judge of Cross River State on her place of origin (and findings/holdings related thereto) thereby dismissing the application as lacking in merit.”

Also ground 1 of the Appeal stated: “The Learned Trial Judge erred in Law when he held that “…there is nowhere in any of the exhibits where it was stated that the non-confirmation of Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme was predicated on her place of origin”. Ground 4 is on the bases that the conclusion of the trial court was at variance with its conclusion.

Meanwhile, Chief Ferdinand Orbhi, SAN, and Femi Falana, SAN, have indicated an interest in the fight by the Cross River State Governor and State Assembly against Justice Ikpeme Akon.

Olukunle Edun, who is the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA confirmed that prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria have indicated an intention to participate as Appellants’ counsel with Chief Ferdinand Orbhi, SAN, and Femi Falana, SAN leading the legal team.

Legaldeskng(LDN) recalls that the human rights activists approached the Calabar Judicial Division of the Federal High Court in a public interest litigation suit seeking to enforce the fundamental rights of Honourable Justice Akon Ikpeme over the non-confirmation by the Cross River State House of Assembly on the discriminatory ground that she poses a security risk, not being an indigene of the State despite her recommendation by the National Judicial Council as the Chief of Cross River State.