Abuja high court sacks 20 lawmakers in Cross River for defecting to the APC

CROSS River State has been thrown into chaos after a federal high court in Abuja sacked 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly for defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

All the affected lawmakers were members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before their defection. They however, followed Governor Ben Ayade, who defected to the APC in May last year, claiming that he was not respected and honoured enough by the PDP hierarchy.

However, the court declared that the lawmakers, having abandoned the political party that sponsored them to power, ought to vacate their seats. Justice Taiwo Taiwo gave the judgment today in a suit filed by the PDP.

Justice Taiwo ruled: ”The action of the fifth to the 25th defendants is feeble and constitutes an attempt to pull wool over the eyes of the court. Their counter affidavit is manifestly defective."

He, therefore, granted all the reliefs sought by the PDP, warning politicians to know that power belongs to the citizens. It is expected that the PDP will now seek to get Governor Ayade sacked too.