Akpabio Free To Join Any Political Party, Court Rules

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja says former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, can move from one party to another.

He stated this on Friday while ruling on a case seeking the removal of Senator Akpabio and 53 other members of the National Assembly who defected from one political party to another in 2018.

An advocacy group, Legal Aides Assistant Project (LEDAP), had instituted the case against the lawmakers and asked the court to declare their seats vacant, noting that there was no division in their parties as claimed.

But Senator Akpabio told the court that he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because he was expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In his ruling, Justice Abang agreed with the lawmaker that he neither decamped nor defected to the APC with the facts placed before the court.

According to him, Senator Akpabio only moved or joined the ruling party on August 3, 2018, and this is based on his freedom of association as envisaged by the law.

The judge said having been expelled by the PDP, the defendant has the constitutional right to join any political party of his choice.

He added that the fact that he was expelled from the opposition party showed there was no division in APC, stating that the plaintiff ought not to have joined him in the suit for his seat to be declared vacant.

Beyond this, Justice Abang stated the matter was sub judice because there was a case concerning Senator Akpabio before a court.

He noted that joining him in the suit amounted to an abuse of court process and as such, the claim as affects him ought to be dismissed.

The judge said at the time the lawmaker joined APC, he was no longer a member of a political party having been expelled by the PDP and was entitled to joining any party without losing his seat.

He said that he agreed with Senator Akapbio that the violation of the law was in good fate, adding that declaring his seat vacant amounted to punishing him for exercising his right to association.