AKWA IBOM, UYO – Akwa Ibom State Government has cautioned former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, over statements allegedly faulting the Supreme Court judgment on the 76 oil wells dispute.
The warning followed a publication on August 20 in ThisDay quoting Aondoakaa as claiming that technical reports once confirmed Cross River retained access to the Atlantic Ocean through Calabar.
Aondoakaa reportedly argued that late President Umaru Yar’Adua relied on naval and surveyor data which showed Cross River was not landlocked, adding that relocating the Eastern Naval Command would cripple national security.
He further claimed a later Supreme Court ruling in 2012 “cut Cross River off from the sea and ended its oil-producing status,” reopening a settled dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
Reacting, Mr. Ekerete Udo, Chief Press Secretary to Akwa Ibom Governor, in a Facebook post, dismissed Aondoakaa’s comments as “unethical, opportunistic, and misleading” attempts to challenge final court judgments.
According to the statement, “Aondoakaa, SAN understands the professional and ethical implications of his purported disclosure now, 16 years after he was sued by Cross River while in office.”
The state reminded Nigerians that Aondoakaa was the first defendant in the 2009 case filed by Cross River and lost the matter conclusively at the Supreme Court in 2012.
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“It is highly reprehensible for a former Chief Law Officer to question judgments where no further appeal exists,” the statement noted, warning against undermining judicial integrity.
The government stressed that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, makes Court of Appeal decisions on election matters final, which Aondoakaa had opposed while serving as Attorney General.
Udo recalled that in 2009, Aondoakaa was publicly condemned for advising government institutions to disobey final court rulings, an act judges described as “reckless and unbecoming of a Senior Advocate.”
Quoting Justice Kekere-Ekun of the Supreme Court, Udo said, “The appellant acted in a manner most sordid, subverting justice while occupying the exalted office of Attorney General.”
He added that the Nigerian Bar Association was urged to subject Aondoakaa to disciplinary measures for misconduct against the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners.
The statement emphasized that public office is a sacred trust, and no officer should prioritize political interests above the Constitution and finality of court decisions.
“It is unthinkable that a former Attorney General, who once desecrated the temple of justice, now seeks to revive a dispute already decided with finality,” Udo stressed.
On Aondoakaa’s claim about naval bases, the state countered that the Navy had since expanded inland to Kogi, Abia, Niger, and Anambra, making the Calabar argument baseless.
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“Naval deployment inland is for internal security, not evidence of maritime access,” the government stated, rejecting attempts to mislead Nigerians on technical grounds.
Udo concluded by urging citizens to disregard the former Attorney General’s remarks, insisting the oil wells remain constitutionally part of Akwa Ibom State.
