Return or lose your seats

—PDP GOVS TO DEFECTED LAWMAKERS:

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday warned the 37 lawmakers in the House of Representatives who defected to the All progressives Congress (APC) to quickly return to the party’s fold or risk losing their seats.
The governors, in a communiqué at the end of meeting on Tuesday night, commended the judiciary for its judgment, warning the members who defected to the rival APC to respect the rule of law.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had ruled that the lawmakers’ decision to defect was wrong, saying they had not completed their tenure based on the PDP platform upon which they were elected.
The presiding judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, also ruled that there was no evidence of crisis within the party to have warranted their defection and therefore ordered them to return to the party.

Although the APC caucus in the House faulted the ruling, the PDP governors told the opposition not to play politics with the rule of law.
The governors in the communiqué read by the chairman, PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, said: “The PDP governors commend the judiciary for its judgement. The members that defected to APC should respect the rule of law.

“The APC should not play politics with the judiciary. Any member who does not return to the party should lose their seat.”
Congratulating President Goodluck Jonathan on the ongoing National Conference, the governors advised the delegates to work towards entrenching the unity and interest of Nigeria.
The PDP governors also congratulated Senator Iyiola Omisore of Osun and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti states on their victory as the party’s flag bearers in the forthcoming governorship elections in the states, promising to work with them assiduously and also urged the other aspirants to support their candidatures.
The governors however disclosed that their next meeting will be held in Bauchi on the 8th & 9th May, 2014.