‘We’ll prepare replacements for 20 sacked Cross River lawmakers’ – PDP, as APC says ‘no cause for alarm’

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Mr. Venatius Ikem has said the party will prepare replacements for the 20 sacked lawmakers from Cross River State.

Ikem made this known while reacting to the Abuja High Court Judgment which sacked 20 legislators from the state who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Taiwo Taiwo while delivering judgement on the originating summons marked ABJ/FHC/CS/976/21, filed in August 2021 by the PDP, held that “The action of the 5th to the 25th Defendants is feeble and constitutes an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the court.

“Their counter affidavit is manifestly defective”.

Consequently, the court granted all the reliefs sought by the PDP, warning politicians to know that power belongs to the citizens.

Hailing the judgement, the Cross River PDP chairman, Venatius Ikem, said: “It was a heart-warning  judgement and a victory for Cross Riverians who voted for PDP in 2019 general election. We commend the judiciary for protecting democracy.

“We shall quickly take all judicial steps to ensure the affected lawmakers  vacate their seats accordingly because it is very clear that they are gone.

“Since the Ebonyi judgement, they know that they have violated all political processes. We shall meet as a party to prepare replacements for those vac ant seats this week because it has become imperative.”

In his reaction, the Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Rt Hon Jonas  Williams Eteng, said they have not been officially served the judgment of the Abuja High Court.

Eteng, representing Yakurr II state constituency and who also detected to APC, said when they get the details of the judgment they would take necessary steps.

Also speaking, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC Erasmus Ekpang said there is no cause for alarm as the party will appeal the judgment.

In a terse statement by the Party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Erasmus Ekpang, the State Chairman, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq. was quoted as saying,”the Federal High court judgment that was given against our lawmakers is nothing to worry about”.

He added, “we trust that the appellate Court will do justice as we file our appeal”.

The APC leadership in the state further urged members to stay calm and not be distracted.

Earlier Monday, a Federal High Court, in Abuja, Monday, declared the seats of 20 lawmakers from Cross River vacant over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgment, dismissed the defence argument that the PDP (plaintiff) had no legal rights to institute the case.

Justice Taiwo ruled that the argument of the lawmakers that there was rancour in the PDP which necessitated their defection to APC was a ploy to mislead the court.

The judge, who granted all the reliefs sought by the PDP, held that it was disheartening that politicians in the country treat citizens as if they do not matter once they get into office.

According to him, we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound.

Two Federal House of Representatives members and 18 others from the Cross River State House of Assembly were affected by the judgment.