JUST IN: Judgment On Governor Ayade’s Defection To APC Shifted To April 6

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has rescheduled judgment in a suit challenging the defection of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, from the People’s Democratic party to the All Progressives Congress.

The application which was instituted by the PDP against Ayade and his deputy was fixed for judgement today.

But on the cause list before Justice Taiwo Taiwo, a new date (6/4/2022) was written on it.

The court official, without given any reason, said the court will not be sitting on the matter today(Friday).

The PDP, through its counsel Emmanuel Ukala, had sought an order sacking the governor and his deputy over their defection.

Ukala had argued that the duo should vacate their offices because votes in an election belongs to political parties and not the flagbearers.

He sought the following reliefs:

“A declaration that in view of the provisions of section 221 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the democratic system of governance operated in Nigeria, votes at the election and elections are won by political parties and not their candidate or the candidates sponsored at the election by the political parties”.

“INEC should 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 or in the alternative directing the 1st defendant to hold a gubernatorial election for Cross River State in accordance with Section 177 of the Constitution excluding the 3rd and 4th defendants who are disqualified from participating in the election by virtue of Section 192 (1) (b) of the Constitution) arising from abandonment of the majority lawful votes and the offices occasioned by the action of the 3rd and 4th defendants by reason of their becoming members of the 2nd defendant who did not win majority of the lawful votes cast at the election”.

Justice Taiwo will now passed his verdict on the case by April 6.