A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Abubakar Gummi as House of Representatives member for defecting from the PDP to the APC.
The judge ordered INEC to hold a fresh election.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Abubakar Gummi, the member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, for leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the ruling, ordered the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to stop recognizing Gummi as a member of the House. The judge further instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a new election in the constituency within 30 days to replace the removed lawmaker.
The case, filed under number FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024, was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara State Chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki. The party asked the court to declare Gummi’s seat vacant following his defection to the APC.
In his defense, Gummi told the court that he left the PDP because of ongoing internal and external crises within the party, both at the national level and in his constituency. He claimed that the situation made it difficult for him to effectively represent his people or deliver democratic benefits without interference.
After considering the arguments, Justice Egwuatu ruled in favor of the PDP, granting all its requests. The judge criticized politicians who treat defection as a routine act, warning that such behavior undermines democratic stability.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday and obtained on Friday, brings an end to Gummi’s tenure as the constituency’s representative pending the conduct of a new election by INEC.
