DEFECTION: 5 APC GOVERNORS RESUME LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST PDP TODAY

Today, at a Federal High Court in Abuja, the five PDP governors who defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) will resume a fierce legal battle against their former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on the issues of their defection.

The governors, who recently defected from PDP to APC due to irreconcilable differences, especially factionalisation and pollarisation of PDP are set to battle their former party to a standstill in their bid to justify their actions.

They are Governors Abdulfattah Ahmed of Kwara, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Rab’iu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano and Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers.
PDP had ignited the legal action through an originating summon in which it sought for court order to declare the seats of the governors vacant or in the alternative order them back to their former status.

The originating summons and hearing notices against the governors were however purportedly delivered to the governors at No. 6, Bisau Street in Abuja; the address which the governors said was strange to them.

They subsequently denied being served with any originating summons and hearing notices by PDP and that as such, the party has no court action against them.

Governor Ahmed, in a motion filed on his behalf by the former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) challenged the purported court action against him.

He is asking Mr. Justice Gabriel Kolawole to set aside the purported originating summons and the hearing notice issued against him on the ground that he has nothing to do with the address where the court process was purportedly delivered to.
The governor, in the motion contended that PDP knows where to locate him and his address, and that the failure of the party to do the right thing should lead to striking out of the purported suit against him.

The PDP through its lawyer, Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN) had attempted to serve the court papers on the governors lawyers on the floor of the court, they however, declined to accept the service on the ground that they have no mandate of their clients to do that, and that they were even in court in protest based on the report they read in newspapers.

Similar motions objecting to hearing of the PDP case were also filed by the four other governors.
The five motions will today be heard and determined by Justice Kolawole on the legality or otherwise of the purported PDP case against the governors.