A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has sacked 5 APC lawmakers from the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Igbere TV reports.
In it’s judgment, the court upheld the sack of the five state lawmakers, following their unjustified defection to All Progressives Congress APC, from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The judgement was delivered, yesterday, by Justice Fatun Riman.
The APC legislators whose seats were declared vacant by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Onofiok Luke, November 2018 following a court order and unlawful defection from the PDP before the expiration of their tenure, had upon their defection, approached the court to prevent their seats from being declared vacant.
PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ini Ememobong, during a media briefing yesterday, explained that the judgement of the court was different from its earlier ruling that ordered the reinstatement of the affected state lawmakers and all their entitlements paid from the date they were stopped.
It maintained that the 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 PDP.
Hailing the court judgment, the party said, “By the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, delivered by Justice 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 APC.”
“All five cases instituted by these sacked lawmakers were premised on several falsehoods 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 (yesterday), 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.”
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.
