THE Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Friday, ordered the leadership of the House of Representatives to immediately swear-in the declared winner of the Eket Federal Constituency, Dan Bassey Abia, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the elections.
The court, in a unanimous decision read by Justice Ayo Bada, ordered that Eseme Eyiboh should vacate the seat, adding that he sneaked into the House of Representatives illegally.
According to Justice Bada, “the primary of the PDP held on the 7th and 8th January through which Dan Bassey Abia emerged as the party’s candidate for the April elections, is hereby upheld as it was the primary that was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission and annexed in the suit.
“The trial judge erred by saying that the name of Abia be removed and replaced with that of Eyiboh. The party primary is the exclusive right of a political party as the party determines who its candidate in an election should be. The said primary, through which Eyiboh purportedly emerged, there was nothing before the court to show that it was either monitored by the party or INEC,” he added.
Justice Bada pointed out “it amounts to one imposing himself on the party and having sneaked into the National Assembly it is hereby ordered that he vacates the seat and that Abia be sworn-in immediately.
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