#AkwaIbom: PDP sues Senator Effiong for defecting to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has made good its threat to sue a serving senator, Nelson Effiong, for defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The case, which came up Thursday for mention at the federal high court, Abuja, has the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as a co-defendant.

Mr. Effiong, who represents Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, was elected to the Senate on the PDP platform in 2015. He is among four senators who have so far decamped, nationwide, from the PDP to the APC.

Mr. Effiong had said he was leaving the PDP partly because of the lingering tussle over the national chairmanship position of the party which has divided it into two factions.

The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of PDP, which is the plaintiff in the case, is asking the court to declare Senator Effiong’s seat in the senate vacant.

Goddy Umoh, the PDP legal adviser in the state, led other seven lawyers to appear for the plaintiff. The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Ini Emembong, who is also a lawyer, was part of the legal team.

The senator was not in court, neither was he represented by a counsel. He did not also file any response in the court as at the time of writing this story.

The court, presided over by Justice John Tsoho, adjourned the case to May 11 for hearing.