New Telegraph

Defection: Court decides Ayade’s fate Friday

A Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to unseat Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State following his defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The PDP had through its counsel Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/975/2021 before Justice Taiwo Taiwo seeking an order to sack the governor and his deputy over Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu (5th left); INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu (5th right), and other directors during the signing of MoU on review of Security and welfare of Corps member in Abuja… yesterday their defection.

 

The same court earlier yesterday ordered two House of Representatives members from the state and 18 lawmakers from the House of Assembly to vacate their seats over their defection from the PDP to the APC.

 

The judge gave the order following a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/971/2021 filed on August 27, 2021, by the PDP challenging the 20 lawmakers’ defection to the APC, alongside the governor on May 20, 2021.

Justice Taiwo dismissed the defence argument that the PDP had no locus standi to institute the case. He also dismissed other preliminary objections raised by the sacked lawmakers.

 

The court held that the argument of the lawmakers that there was rancour in the PDP which necessitated their defection to the APC was a ploy to mislead the court. Meanwhile, the sacked 20 lawmakers have lodged seven grounds of appeal to set aside the judgment.

 

 

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