There is graveyard silence in Cross River State, following the news of the sack of 20 lawmakers over their defection from the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All progressives Congress, APC.
Various reactions have trailed the sack of the lawmakers by Federal High Court, Abuja for joining Gov Ben Ayade.
The affected members include: 18 House of Assembly members and two House of Representatives members making them 20 in number.
In a Judgement delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo which held that the lawmakers, having abandoned the political party that sponsored them to power, ought to vacate their seats.
The judgement followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021, which was filed by the PDP.
Speaking with the Speaker of the Cross River state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Eteng Jonah Williams shortly after the judgement, said he was not aware of any judgment sacking him or any other member of the House.
“As far as I’m concerned and as far as I know, I am not aware of any court judgement sacking me or any member of the CRSHA, because we have not been served any order as we speak,” he said.
On his part, the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River, Venatius Ikem Esq expressed satisfaction over the judgment which he described as heartwarming.
His words: ”it is a very heartwarming judgment and we commend the Judiciary for upholding the tenets of democracy.
“This is the kind of judgment that can sanitise the entire political process and we welcome it wholeheartedly.
“For us we have won the judgment and we shall follow the necessary judicial processes for them to vacate the seats and we shall also take steps to adequately replace them accordingly.
“For us, it’s to begin to prepare for a replacement for those seats, we have to meet to take a decision, it is imperative we replace all those who the court have vacated immediately,” he said.
