A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) praying to remove Ben Ayade Cross River State governor and the deputy governor, Ivara Esu, over their defection to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
The presiding judge,Justice Taiwo in his ruling, held that the duo could not be sacked from their positions, other than through statutory procedures that were stipulated in sections 180, 188 and 189 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
According to the judge, defection to another political party was not stated as one of the grounds for the removal of either a governor or his deputy.
“The 3rd and 4th Defendant cannot be removed except by Constitutional provision.
“This court has no power to declare vacant the seat of the 3rd and 4th Defendants”, Justice Taiwo posited.
 praying to remove Ben Ayade Cross River){kind=link}