Justice Taiwo Taiwo postpones the decision to either sack Ayade like he did the state lawmakers who defected with him to the APC or keep him on his job
By Ishaya Ibrahim News Editor
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has postponed the decision whether to sack the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade or not over his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP filed a suit seeking to sack Ayade and his Deputy, Ivara Esu over their defection.
Judgment in the case was initially fixed for today, March 25. But the judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, postponed the decision till April 6.
TheNiche had reported that the same Justice Taiwo Taiwo sacked 20 members of the State House of Assembly for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on March 21.
The lawmakers were formerly members of the PDP who jumped ship with the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade.
In the judgement delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, the court held that the lawmakers needed to vacate their seats since they abandoned the party which brought them to power.
The Cross River State lawmakers joined Professor Ben Ayade in his defection to the APC in March 2021.
The judgement sacking them followed a suit filed by the PDP marked FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021.
On March 8, a similar judgment was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which sacked the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, his deputy, Eric Igwe, and the 17 members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
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Court sacks 20 Cross River lawmakers for defecting to APC
The lawmakers had on November 17, 2020, joined Umahi and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, to move over to the APC.
The court held that the lawmakers, having abandoned the political party that sponsored them, could not transfer the mandate they obtained from the ballot to another political party.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo had earlier fixed the judgment for or against Ayade today, March 25, but later postponed it to April 6. It is not clear why the judge took the decision