JUST IN: Court Sacks Federal Lawmaker for Defecting from PDP to APC

The Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Rep. Abubakar Gummi from office for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Gummi, who represents Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State in the House of Representatives, was ordered to vacate his seat immediately.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 30 days to fill the vacant seat. The judge also restrained the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, from recognising Gummi as a member of the House.

The case, filed by the PDP and its Zamfara State chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki, challenged Gummi’s defection, arguing that it violated Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates lawmakers to vacate their seats if they defect from the party that sponsored them, except in cases of division within the party. The plaintiffs maintained that no such division existed in the PDP when Gummi switched allegiance to the APC.

In his defence, Gummi claimed that his defection was due to unresolved crises within the PDP both at the national level and in his constituency, which he said hindered his ability to effectively represent his people.

Justice Egwuatu, however, dismissed his argument, ruling that defection without genuine division in a party is unconstitutional. The judge condemned what he described as the “culture of political prostitution” among Nigerian politicians, emphasising that elected officials have no right to transfer the mandate of one political party to another.

“The electorates make their choices based on party manifestos and candidates’ credibility. It is legally and morally wrong for a politician to abandon the party that sponsored their election and move to a rival party without relinquishing the mandate,” Egwuatu said.

The court further ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances he had received from October 30, 2024, to the date of the judgment, and to provide proof of repayment within 30 days. In addition, the judge awarded N500,000 in costs against Gummi and the other defendants in favour of the plaintiffs.