Defection: Court sacks A-Ibom APC Lawmakers

Less than two weeks to the end of their term, five embattled lawmakers of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly were on Monday sacked from the legislature by the Federal High court sitting in Uyo.

The court ruled that their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC was illegal.

The final judgement was delivered by Justice Fatun Riman.

The seats of the APC legislators were declared vacant by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr  Onofiok Luke in November 2018 following a court order that flowed from an action initiated by the lawmakers.

Reacting, to the development, the state chapter of the  People’s Democratic Party, PDP said  the court judgement has brought an end to lies spread by the affected persons and the APC over the issue.

The party in a statement signed and read by its Publicity Secretary Mr. Ini Ememobong during a media briefing yesterday, explained that the final judgement of the court  was different from its earlier ruling that ordered the reinstatement of the affected state Lawmakers and all their entitlement paid from the date it was stopped

It maintained that the final court judgement also answered the claim by the former governor and member representing Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, Senator Godswill Akpabio that he was suspended and expelled by the PDP.

“By  the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, delivered today by Justice Fatun Riman, the court has brought to an end the different tissues of lies cobbled and presented as facts by the sacked state legislators who are now members of the APC,” the PDP publicity scribe said.

“All five cases instituted by these sacked lawmakers were premised  on several falsehood ranging from the claim that the coalition entered into by the PDP with other parties was a merger, to the fact that the sacked lawmakers, like their master, were summarily expelled from the party. Today, like it is with all falsehood, a Daniel has come to Judgement and the truth has been revealed.

“One by one, the court resolved all the issues in the substantive suits, against the lawmakers and held that their seats were vacant by reason of their defection from the PDP without lawful justification.”

Continuing, the party therefore intimated  the State Chairman  of APC , Mr Ini Okopido that no amount of media, spiritual and even, physical attack would deter anybody from the exercise of their duties and the unending quest for truth.

The PDP insisted that the APC and her leaders should  unreservedly apologise to Akwa Ibom people and the entire world for the needless show of shame that they brazenly brought upon the stare and the unnecessary strain cum pressure on the polity.

“In all the defence put out by Mr. Okopido and his band of wailers, none has answered the pertinent question of fact which is, was Chief Godswill Akpabio expelled from the PDP?

“Today the judgement of the court has answered the question of law, which is: assuming but not conceding that Senator Godswill Akpabio was expelled, was that a legal justification to defect.

“Our statements against the APC and her leaders have been to condemn habitual lying and such other recurrent misnomers which they have now internalised.”

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