Abuja — A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja on Monday gave 16 lawmakers in Bauchi State and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) up till November 20 to appear before it over the lawmakers' defection from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The ANPP and the impeached Deputy Governor, Garba Gadi, sued the legislators for crossing over to the PDP, and asked that a bye-election be conducted to fill their seats.

The court had at its last sitting ruled that the plaintiffs could serve the lawmakers the court processes through the Clerk of the state House of Assembly or paste the charges on the notice board of the Federal High Court in Bauchi.

But on Monday, the plaintiffs' counsel, Mamman Osuman, told Justice Mohammed Garba Umar that since the defendants were not in court, the court should give an order that the parties should file their written addresses in line with the rules of the court.

Umar asked the plaintiffs to file their written addresses within 14 days and fixed November 20 for the adoption of the addresses.

In another case, the court granted a request by the ANPP seeking leave to serve Governor Isa Yuguda through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) or through substituted means.

The ANPP is also in court to challenge Yuguda's defection to the PDP.

ANPP counsel, Abubakar Malami, said Yuguda had been served the court processes through the Permanent Secretary in the Governor's Office and asked for leave to serve him through the SSG or any official at Government House.

Umar ordered that all court processes be filed and served on the defendants before October 20, the next hearing date.