Nigeria Politics: Court order Defected PDP Members to APC to Resign

By Ezone Politico

APC caucus in House of Reps criticizes court judgment over defection of 37 former PDP members. A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday asked the decamped 37 former PDP Reps members to resign their seats at the House of Representatives for political cross-carpeting

The court unanimously restrained the legislators from effecting any leadership change in the lower House of Assembly. The judgment was delivered due to matter brought by PDP asking that the legislators should not be allowed to take part in the activities of the assembly

According to the presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, gave a directive that the lawmakers no longer had any business, morally and legally in the assembly. The judge said, having perused the argument of counsel and the constitutional provision, it is clear and unambiguous that the defendants were sponsored by the PDP and won the election on its platform. “It is also the court opinion that their tenure has not expired and there is no division in the PDP”

“The defendants are therefore, not competent to vote or contribute to any proceedings in the House of Representative, thus hereby ordered, restraining them from altering or attempting to change the leadership of the House of Reps” Ademola said.

January 7, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the PDP instituted a suit seeking to restrain the House of Representatives from altering the composition of its leadership

Mr. Yunus Usman (SAN) PDP’s counsel had while arguing the originating summons, faulted the cross carpeting of the lawmakers saying that the legislators did so during the dependency of judgment. Usman submitted that by virtue of the provision of Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Nigeria constitution as amended, the lawmakers ought to have vacated their seats immediately

Mr. Mahmond Magaji (SAN) counsel to the defendants argues that it was wrong for the PDP to have sought to restrain its former members from activities of the assembly for defecting. The charges adjourned for further hearing at Appeal Court.