37 Defecting Representatives Must Give Up Seat, Says Federal Court

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, March 31, (THEWILL) - A Federal High Court in Abuja Monday declared that the 37 members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) must give up their seats as they are 'not competent to vote or contribute to any proceedings in the House of Representatives.

' According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Presiding judge in the suit, Justice Adeniyi Ademola declared as follows: 'Having perused the arguments of counsel and the constitutional provisions, it is clear and unambiguous that the defendants were sponsored by the PDP and won the election on its platform.

'It is also the court's opinion that their tenure has not expired and there is no division in the PDP.

'The defendants are, therefore, not competent to vote or contribute to any proceedings in the House of Representatives.

'An order of perpetual injunction is, hereby, ordered, restraining them from altering or attempting to change the leadership of the House of Reps.

The suit was instituted on January 07, 2014, by the National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop the House from effecting a change in its leadership.

It sued the House of Representatives, and listed as 2nd to 10th defendants all the principal officers of the House comprising the Speaker, Deputy Speaker (Emeka Ihedioha), Mulikat Akande-Adeola (The Majority Leader), Leo Ogor (Deputy Majority Leader), Isiaka Bawa (Chief Whip), Ahmed Mutkar (Deputy Chief Whip), Gbajabiamila (Minority Leader), Samson Osagie (Minority Whip) and Sumaila Kawu (Deputy Minority Leader).