A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had instituted a suit against the lawmakers over their defection to the APC.

The affected lawmakers are Michael Etaba, Legor Idagbor, Eteng Jonah William, Joseph A. Bassey, Odey Peter Agbe, Okon E. Ephraim, Regina L. Anyogo, Matthew S. Olory, Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Ogbor Udop, and Ekpe Charles Okon.

Others are Hillary Ekpang Bisong, Francis B. Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday U. Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Nja-Mbu Ogar, and Maria Akwaji.

In opposing the suit, Mike Ozekhome, counsel to the 4th-25th defendants, had challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit.

He submitted that the cause of action arose in Calabar and that the matter should be transferred to the high court in Calabar.

In his judgement, the Presiding Judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, held that “there is nothing against the law that the suit be heard by this court”.

He said the 4-25th defendants are joined with other defendants who have their offices in Abuja.

Furthermore, in their defence, the lawmakers had argued that there was rancor in the PDP which led to their expulsion from the party.

However, the judge held that the defendants had intentions to mislead the court. He said he found gaps and loopholes in their defence as they tried to twist events to suit their own narratives.

Taiwo noted that they not only defect loudly but “took pictures of their defection and were received by the officials of the 26th defendant.

“The is no doubt that the defendants can belong to or join any political association and assembly as they are free to do so. However, the truth must be told.

“I consider the attempts of the 6th – 25th defendants to justify their defection, feeble in the circumstances of this case.”

Taiwo noted that the public voted for the lawmakers through the plaintiff who sponsored them and they were not voted for as independent candidates.

“They had a vehicle which conveyed them and that vehicle belongs to the plaintiff. They cannot abandon the vehicle,” he held.

He stated that politicians treat citizens that elected them into power as if they do not matter when they assume office, adding that a day will come when elected officers must resign their post if they migrate to another party or seek the permission of the people for permission before they decamp.

SyrusdeHansome:
Even though i'm not a fan of PMB i can't deny the fact that sometimes he acts as a gentleman. He rarely interfers with court judgements nd i applaud him 4 that

saintokwuluora:
Greed! They wanted more and lost all.

Pele10:
This judgment will hopfully bring sanity to ur politial system and democracy in general and put an end to political prostituion, any politician that wants to defect for whatever reason should drop his mandate and contest in his party of choice, becuse truly power belongs to the electorate and not the elected. Also conider the feeling of those that voted for you on a particular platform you can't just betray them for your own selfish intrest. For instance how will those that voted for president M_Buhari feel if he defects to the PDP and appoint A_Atiku as his chief of staff.

There is graveyard silence in Cross River state following the news of the sack of 20 lawmakers over their defection from opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All progressives Congress, APC.

manontree:
Everyone has always known this to be the truth.you campaign on the manifesto of a parry, which for instance could promise more schools. People on this basis of these manifesto voted you in

Suddenly you change the whole thing and decamp to another party which may have a manifesto that promised more guns. It is entirely feasible that the electors never would have sided with such manifesto but you single handedly forced them to be governed under this manifesto

chronique:
One thing I don't like about law as a profession is that, it lacks principles. Mike ozekhome can be seen in court today, defending apc members for a particular issue and tomorrow, he'd be in court defending PDP members in another court, for the same issue.