Court Sacks Zamfara Lawmaker for Defection to APC
Abuja, Nigeria – The Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from his seat in the House of Representatives for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gummi, who represents the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, was sacked by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who ruled that his defection violated constitutional provisions since there was no evidence of division within the PDP to justify the move.
In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu also barred the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, from recognising Gummi as a member of the National Assembly.
Furthermore, the court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election to fill the now-vacant seat within 30 days of the ruling.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday and obtained on Friday, reinforces the constitutional stance that lawmakers cannot abandon the political party that sponsored their election without losing their seats, except in cases of internal party crisis.
This ruling adds to a growing list of judicial decisions reaffirming party