A Federal High Court sitting in Akure will, on June 19,  determine whether Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde  a.k.a Abena, representing Akure North/Akure South at the House of  Representatives, will vacate or retain his seat in the House over his defection from the Labour Party.

Presiding Justice Grace Okeke fixed the date for the judgment after the adoption of briefs by counsel to all parties in a suit filed by Abegunde against the Labour Party (LP) and others.

He had approached the court to prevent his recall from the House after decamping to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) from LP under which he was elected on the grounds of serious intra-party crisis in Akure North Local Government Area.  LP counsel, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), leading the Director of Civil Litigation, Mr. Rotimi Olamide, prayed the court to dismiss the suit following the plaintiff’s failure to meet the constitutional provisions for decamping.

Citing Sec.68 of the 1999 Constitution, the Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice submitted that unless there is a division in the party’s national body which can lead to two different headquarters, struggle or agitation for power at ward, local government and state levels cannot provide comfort for the plaintiff.