Confusion in PDP over 37 Reps’ defection

There   was  confusion in the leadership of  the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday as it made two conflicting demands  from  both the House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal , and  the  Federal High Court, Abuja on the defection of 37 of its  members to the All Progressives Congress.

While  the PDP  released a statement  in which it requested Tambuwal to  declare the defectors’ seats in the House vacant,  in the court, it asked  for an  order   compelling them  to return to its fold.

In the statement by its National Publicity Secretary,  Olisa Metuh, the  party argued that  since the 37 lawmakers  had   renounced their membership, the Presiding Officers of  the House must declare their   seats vacant without any further delay.

The PDP  said that a court order  which the 37  lawmakers  referred to while announcing their defection on Wednesday  was wrongly interpreted.

Metuh’s  statement    reads,  “The attention of the PDP has been drawn to claims by 37 defecting members of the House elected on the platform of the PDP to the APC that they obtained an injunction restraining the leadership of the National Assembly and the party from declaring their seats vacant in line with provisions of the  1999 Constitution.

“We have, after a careful review,  discovered that this claim is false. For the avoidance of doubt, the order of the court clearly says that ‘status quo’ be maintained which means the affected members shall remain members of the PDP.

“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in section 68 (i) (g) clearly spells out the consequences of defection when there is no division in any Party. We wish to re-emphasise here that the courts have pronounced, and INEC has concurred, that there are no factions in the PDP.”

Metuh said this shall be in adherence to our grund norm, which is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

But  at  the  FHC, Abuja,  the PDP asked   that  the 37  lawmakers ‘ defection should be declared  “null and void.”

It  warned  that  their defection could  lead to a breakdown of law and order in the National Assembly and the entire polity if not reversed.

In the suit filed by its counsel, Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), on Thursday,  the PDP maintained that the defection contravened the order made by the Abuja FHC on December 17, 2013, when counsel to the 37 lawmakers tried to move a motion for interlocutory injunction, seeking to stop  a plan to declare their seats vacant.

According to the PDP, the  FHC had on December 17 ordered the 37 lawmakers to revert   to the status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction.

The party  therefore  wants  “an order from the court  declaring the defection, on December 18, 2013, by 37 of the plaintiffs from the  PDP  to the  APC  as null and void and contrary to the order made on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.”

The PDP  also asked for “a mandatory order that the 37 legislators revert to the status quo pending the hearing of the plaintiffs’ motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

As an  alternative to the mandatory order directing the lawmakers to revert to  the status quo,  the PDP asked for “an order setting aside the earlier order on parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the motion for interlocutory injunction.”

In an affidavit in support of the motion, which was deposed to by one Tajudeen Ayeni,  the ruling party  averred that the subject matter of the suit bordered on the alleged “intention” by the plaintiffs  to defect to the APC.

It added, “The plaintiffs were worried that the defendants would declare their seats vacant in the House of Representatives on account of their proposed defection and so instructed their counsel to file a motion for interlocutory injunction before this court.

“When this matter came up for hearing on December  17, 2013,  counsel  for  the plaintiffs sought to move a  motion for interlocutory injunction but this was resisted by the 1st and 4th defendants/applicants counsel. The honourable court then made an order suo moto that status quo be maintained.”

The PDP  argued that in spite of the order,  the 37 legislators decamped to the APC . It  stressed that the defection was aimed at putting it(PDP) at a huge disadvantage  ahead of  the next hearing date in the matter, which is January 22, 2014.

The party said, “It is necessary for this  honourable court to reverse the action of the 37 plaintiffs which is clearly in   disobedience of the order of this court.

“The action of the 37 plaintiffs, if not reversed, is capable of dissipating the res in this matter and may also lead to a breakdown of law and order in the National Assembly and affect the entire polity.”

Gadzama had earlier  in a letter  informed  Tambuwal of the suit filed by the party in a bid to reverse the defection of the 37 lawmakers.

In the leter, he said, “We have today filed a motion on notice, which has already been served on your office, seeking to overturn the purported movement of the 37 plaintiffs to the APC.

“It is in the light of this that we enjoin you to act in obedience to the order of court and direct the plaintiffs to revert to the status quo ante bellum.

PUNCH NG