Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State.

Peoples Democratic Party had taken Ayade to court seeking an order directing him and his Deputy, Ivara Esu, to vacate office following their defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Ayade who was elected on the platform of PDP in 2015 defected to the APC on May 20, 2021, along with his deputy.

PDP in the suit asked the court for “a declaration that in view of the provisions of section 221 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the democratic system of governance operated in Nigeria, votes at the election and elections are won by political parties and not their candidate or the candidates sponsored at the election by the political parties.”

Punch