A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Action People’s Party (APP) seeking to replace 27 lawmakers from the Rivers State House of Assembly who allegedly defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the suit was statute-barred, as it was not filed within the required 14-day period.
The defection occurred in December last year, but the APP didn’t file the case until July 12, eight months later.
Also, the court deemed the case an abuse of court processes, citing previous suits on the same issue that had already been adjudicated upon by the federal high court.
Justice Lifu referenced a July judgment by Justice James Omotosho, which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from declaring the lawmakers’ seats vacant or conducting fresh elections to replace them.
Since that judgment remains unchallenged and unappealed, it stands as binding law regarding the lawmakers’ alleged defection.
The judge stated that revisiting the issue would amount to “judicial rascality.”
