The Cross River State House of Assembly has placed the lawmaker representing Obubra I State Constituency, Dickson Agbor, on indefinite suspension following allegations of domestic violence.
The decision was taken during plenary on Thursday after a motion was introduced by Davies Etta and supported by Francis Bassey Asuquo.
Presenting the motion, Etta denounced the alleged incident, describing it as conduct inconsistent with the standards expected of elected officials.
He stressed that the legislature must safeguard its image and uphold ethical principles.
According to him, lawmakers are duty-bound to act in ways that reflect the confidence reposed in them by their constituents.
After deliberations, members resolved to bar Agbor from all legislative duties pending the outcome of a formal investigation.
The House also set up an ad hoc committee to probe the allegations and submit a report for further action.
Following the resolution, the lawmaker was escorted out of the chamber by the Sergeant-at-Arms in line with parliamentary procedure.
Reacting to the development, Speaker Elvert Ayambem reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to discipline and institutional integrity.
He stated that misconduct capable of tarnishing the legislature’s reputation would not be tolerated.
“The House will not condone any behaviour that brings this institution into disrepute. We must continue to preserve its dignity,” he said, adding that the suspension would remain in place pending the committee’s findings.
Earlier, Bassey Otu, Governor of Cross River State, and his wife, Eyoanwan Otu, had criticised the alleged incident, characterising the reported actions as inappropriate.
However, in a separate statement on Thursday, the lawmaker’s wife, Glory Agbor, appealed for privacy, stating that the matter had been settled within the family.
She dismissed claims portraying her family negatively and maintained that she and her husband had resolved their differences amicably.
Glory Agbor also offered an apology to her husband and relatives over what she described as misunderstandings surrounding the issue. In addition, she announced her decision to step down from the Legislators’ Wives Association.
However, journalist Agba Jalingo opined that the messages being sent from Glory Agbor’s phone were composed and sent by her in-laws, who seized her phone from her.
He wrote:
“This is Glory Sunday the wife of dis-honorable Hon Ovat Dickson Agbor. She kept saying nothing is wrong and they have settled the matter with her husband. Someone should ask her what happened to her face here. I am told that her in-laws seized her phones, and they are the ones typing all those apologies to her husband and posting on her timeline”.
See a video of the battered face of Glory Agbor here.
