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Political associates of Godwin Agba, a governorship aspirant in Cross River state has risen in his defence, stating that he has been a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 2011. The State PDP Chairman, Ntufam John Okon had last week claimed that Agba is not a registered member of the party, but his associates in a petition to the National Chairman of PDP, Adamu Muazu and other members of PDP provided evidence to show that Agba is a duly registered member of the party. In a petition to Muazu signed by former Commissioner for Environment in Cross River, Dr. Sandy Onor; former National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Venatius Ikem; former Special Adviser and Vice Chairman of State Planning Commission, John Omori; former member of Cross River House of Assembly, Bassey Ibor; former member of House of Representatives, Ernest Irek; and former Executive Secretary in the state, Pius Achu, they all stated that Agba is a registered member of PDP. According to the petition made available to THISDAY, they said: “We hereby bring to your notice that Prince Godwin Jedy Agba, was registered in 2011 as the 79th member of the PDP in Utugwang Central Ward of Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State. We the friends of Prince Godwin Jedy Agba, see no reason for singling out our friend and respected prince of the State for such outbursts and calculated attempts to stifle and derail a viable aspiration. We remain resolute, steadfast, committed to this vision and through which the renaissance of Cross River State is imminent”. On the allegation that Agba is still a staff member of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), his political associates referred the state chairman of PDP to a Supreme Court judgment in 2002, where the dichotomy between civil and public servants was settled. According to the petition, Agba’s political associates said: “We are surprised that as a State Chairman of the ruling party, Ntufam Okon is unaware that the dichotomy between civil/public servants and non civil servants regarding membership of political parties has been settled by Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and confirmed by the highest court of the land on 18th November, 2002”. Referring to the Supreme Court judgment on the dichotomy between civil and public servants, they said: “His Lordship Justice Ayoola JSC in his lead judgment in the case between INEC and Attorney General of the Federation Versus Musa (2003) 3 NWLR (Part 806) 72 Obiter dictum per Uwais (CJN retired) averred that “There is nothing reasonably justifiable in a democratic society in the interest of the defence, public order, public morality or public health, prohibiting a member of the civil service from eligibility to be registered as a member of a political party,” “Similarly in his concurrent judgment, His Lordship Justice Mohammed Uwais upheld the provisions of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and further contended that “the civil service rules which restrict the participation of civil/public servants in politics are not derived from an enabling Act or Law or a subsidiary legislation”. Agba’s political associates said the state deserves the very best, adding that “if indeed the character, qualifications and conduct of Agba falls short of the criteria of the party at this juncture, that it behoves on the delegates to the gubernatorial primaries to exercise their discretion through a democratic and transparent process.”
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