The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from office as a member of the House of Representatives for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
Justice delivered the ruling on Friday, declaring that Gummi’s defection was unconstitutional since there was no evidence of any division within the PDP to justify his action.
The court held that the lawmaker, who represents Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, vacated his seat the moment he abandoned the platform on which he was elected.
The judge consequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Gummi’s certificate of return and conduct a fresh election to fill the vacant seat.
The decision reaffirms previous judgments by Nigerian courts upholding the constitutional provision that prohibits elected lawmakers from defecting to other political parties without valid justification.
