Court Sacks 20 Cross River Lawmakers Over Defection From PDP To APC

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday ordered the removal from office 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly over their defection last year from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Taiwo, in a judgment, held that the affected state legislators cannot continue to occupy office having dumped the party that brought them into office.

The state lawmakers had joined the Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, and his deputy to dump the PDP last year for the APC.

But the PDP, in a suit instituted on its behalf by Mr Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), approached the court to challenge the legality of the actions of the defectors.

However, in his judgment, the court agreed with the plaintiff that the defendants’ continued stay in office amounts to an illegality having crossed over to another party.

The judge held that votes belong to a political party and that the electorate voted for the legislators because they contested on the platform of the PDP and not in their individual capacity.

The judge therefore ordered them to vacate office having defected from the PDP to the APC.

The ruling is coming barely two weeks after Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi, his deputy and 16 lawmakers in the state were sacked by the court over defection.

Those affected by the order are

1. Michael Ataba

2. Legor Idagbor

3. Eteng Jonnah William

4. Joseph A. Basset

5. Odey Peter Agbe

6. Okon E. Ephraim

7. Regina E. Anyone

8. Matthew S. Olory

9. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey

10.Ogbor Ogbor Udop

11. Ekpe Charles Okon

12. Hillary Ekpang Bisong

13. Francis B. Asuqo

14. Elvert Ayambem

15. Davis Etta

16. Sunday U. Achunekan

17. Cynthia Nkasi

18. Edward Ajang

19. Chris Nja-Mbu Ogar

20. Maria Akawaji