Defection: Governor Ayade, Deputy to know their fate Friday

An Abuja Federal High Court, has on Friday, delivered judgement in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State.

The PDP had filed the suit with file number, FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Abuja High Court, seeking for an order to sack the governor and his deputy for defecting from the PDP, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), today Tuesday, while reporting from Court 7, where Justice Taiwo presided over the matter, reported that the case would come up on Friday, March 25.

It could be recalled that Taiwo had, on Monday, ruled that two House of Representatives members representing Cross River and 18 lawmakers from the state House of Assembly, should vacate their seats, for defecting to APC.

Taiwo Taiwo gave the order following a suit with file number FHC/ABJ/CS/971/2021, brought before the court on Aug. 27, 2021, by the PDP, challenging the 20 lawmakers’ defection to APC, along with that of the governor, which came on May 20, 2021.

Justice Taiwo while giving judgment, dismissed the defence argument, that the PDP (plaintiff) did not have locus standi (legal rights) to institute the case.

He further dismissed other preliminary objections that were raised by the sacked lawmakers.

Taiwo stated that the argument presented by the lawmakers claiming their detection was because of rancour in the PDP, was baseless.

Taiwo, while granting all the reliefs presented by the PDP, observed that it was disheartening that politicians in the country treat citizens as if they do not matter once they get into office.

“A day must surely come when elected officials, must either resign from their office or ask the people who voted for them before defecting to other political parties, instead of defecting to another party without recourse to the law and the citizens, ” he said.

According to him, we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound.

The affected two members of the House of Representatives from the state are Michael Etaba and Legor Idagbor.

The 18 state’s lawmakers include the Speaker, House of Assembly, Eteng Williams; Mich Etaba, Legor Idagbor, Joseph Bassey, Odey Agbe and Okon Ephraim.

Others are: Regina Anyogo, Matthew Olory, Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Udop, Ekpe Okon, Hillary Bisong, Francis Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Ogar and Maria Akwaji.

While Mr Etaba represents Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River, Mr Idagbor represents Obudu/Obaliku/Bekwarra Federal Constituency of the state.