BREAKING: Anxiety as Court Makes New Announcement on Ayade’s Defection Suit
- Nigerians will have to wait a bit longer for the court verdict on the PDP's suit seeking Governor Ayade's removal after defecting to APC
- The Federal High Court in Abuja handling the case said judgement will be delivered on Wednesday, April 6
- Recall that the presiding judge, Taiwo Taiwo, had earlier fixed Friday, March 25, to deliver the much-awaited judgment
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FCT, Abuja - A Federal High Court in Abuja has rescheduled judgement for Wednesday, April 6 in the suit seeking to sack Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state over his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Legit.ng reported that Justice Taiwo Taiwo had earlier planned the judgment for Friday, March 25.
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The Nation, however, reported that upon visiting the court this morning, it was indicated on the case list that the judgement would now be rendered on April 6.
The suit marked: FHC/ABI/CS/975/2021 was filed by the PDP, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ayade, Ivara Esu (Cross River state deputy governor) and the APC as defendants.
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Recall that Governor Ayade was elected on the platform of the PDP in 2015 and 2019, but defected to the APC in May 2021, along with his deputy.
PDP versus Ayade: What opposition party wants
In the suit, the PDP wants the court to declare, in view of the provisions of section 221 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), that votes at elections are won by political parties and not their candidates, TheCable reported.
The opposition party is also seeking an order directing the INEC “to immediately receive from the plaintiff (PDP), the name of its candidates to replace the 3rd and 4th defendants (Ayade and Esu) for the purpose of utilising the lawful votes cast in favour of the plaintiff."
Alternatively, the PDP wants the court to direct INEC to hold a gubernatorial election for Cross River state where Ayade and Esu will not be allowed to participate.
Defection: 20 Cross River lawmakers sacked
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Justice Taiwo on Monday, March 21, sacked 20 lawmakers from Cross River state for defecting alongside the governor to the ruling APC.
The judge while delivering judgement on a suit instituted by the PDP to challenge the lawmakers’ defection, dismissed all the preliminary objections raised by the sacked lawmakers.
He stated that “lawmakers wined and dined under the umbrella of the PDP,” but ditched the party even when there was no justification for their action.
Source: Legit.ng