Aftermath of sack verdict: Security operatives take over C’River House of Assembly

 After the Federal High Court dismissed 20 members of the Cross River State Assembly who switched from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), heavily armed security officers have blocked the building (APC).

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mobile Policemen, Anti-Kidnapping and Cultism Squad, and other security personnel may be seen inside and outside the assembly.

The Assembly gate is closed at the time of this report, and no staff is permitted in or leave while no members of the House are present.

 In a related  development, a Federal High Court, Abuja, will on Friday, deliver judgment in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State.

The PDP, through its counsel Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 before Justice Taiwo Taiwo to seek for an order sacking the governor and his deputy over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, gathered from Court 7, where Justice Taiwo presided that the judgment in suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 filed by the PDP against Cross River governor and his deputy will come up on Friday, March 25.

Recall that Taiwo had, on Monday, ordered two House of Representatives members representing Cross River and 18 lawmakers from the state’s House of Assembly to vacate their seats over their defection to APC.

The judge gave the order following a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/971/2021 filed on Aug. 27, 2021, by the PDP to challenge the 20 lawmakers’ defection to APC, alongside the governor on May 20, 2021.

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

He also dismissed other preliminary objections raised by the sacked lawmakers.

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.

“A day must surely come when elected officials, must either resign from their office or ask the people who voted for them before defecting to other political parties, instead of defecting to another party without recourse to the law and the citizens, ” he said.

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

The affected two members of the House of Representatives from the state are Michael Etaba and Legor Idagbor.

The 18 state’s lawmakers include the Speaker, House of Assembly, Eteng Williams; Mich Etaba, Legor Idagbor, Joseph Bassey, Odey Agbe and Okon Ephraim.

Others are: Regina Anyogo, Matthew Olory, Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Udop, Ekpe Okon, Hillary Bisong, Francis Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Ogar and Maria Akwaji.

While Mr Etaba represents Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River, Mr Idagbor represents Obudu/Obaliku/Bekwarra Federal Constituency of the state.

For a better society