The Peoples Democratic Party applauded the High Court’s dismissal of 20 lawmakers who had defected from the party.
Mr Venatius Ikem, the state PDP chairman, said on Tuesday that members of the party were overjoyed by the decision to dismiss the lawmakers who defected to the APC.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo ruled on March 21 that the MPs had to forfeit their seats because they had abandoned the political party that had brought them to power.
The ruling came after the PDP filed a lawsuit with the number FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021.
They were jubilant, according to the chairman, since they had reclaimed their triumph.
“We have left no one in doubt that we had confidence in the judiciary and we believed that we would reclaim our mandate.
“The difference between this case and the others in the past is that we challenged it, the courts don’t just give judgments, but adjudicate on matters brought before it.
“We decided that one way or the other, we would correct certain things in our politics and the judgment today is the beginning of this,” he said.
Mr Mike Ojisi, the PDP’s state publicity secretary, said the party was ready to field candidates for the empty positions and that the ruling was a positive move.
“We are conscious of the fact that they may want to go for appeal, but that will not make any difference.
“If these lawmakers that were sacked today were wise, they would have learned a lesson from the judgment involving the Ebonyi governor.
“Even if they had returned to the party a day before this judgment, we would have received them with open arms.
“Our umbrella is so large that it can accommodate as many people as possible,” he said.
They comprised 18 members from the State House of Assembly and two from the House of Representatives
reports that the affected members included lawmakers who defected with Governor Ben Ayade in 2021 from the PDP to the APC.
