- The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Rep. Abubakar Gummi of Zamfara State for defecting from the PDP to the APC without proof of division in his former party.
- Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled the defection unconstitutional, ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election within 30 days, and directed Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received since October 2024.
- The judge condemned political defections, stating that “political prostitution must not be rewarded.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Rep. Abubakar Gummi, who represents the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) without a valid reason.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Gummi’s defection was unconstitutional, as he abandoned the political platform that sponsored his election without evidence of division or crisis within the PDP.
The court directed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately cease recognizing Gummi as a member and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 30 days to fill the vacant seat.
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The suit was filed by the PDP and its Zamfara State Chairman, who argued that Gummi’s action violated Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that a lawmaker must vacate their seat if they defect from the party that sponsored their election—unless that party is divided.
In his defence, Gummi claimed that unresolved internal disputes within the PDP at both the national and constituency levels prompted his decision to join the APC. However, the court dismissed his argument, describing it as baseless and unsubstantiated.
Justice Egwuatu, while granting all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, condemned the growing trend of political defection in Nigeria, warning that it undermines the democratic process.
“If a person must decamp, don’t decamp with the mandate of the electorates,” the judge said. “Political prostitution must not be rewarded.”
The court further ordered Gummi to:
Stop receiving all salaries and allowances as a member of the House of Representatives.
Refund all payments received from October 30, 2024, to the date of the judgment.
Submit proof of the refund to the court within 30 days.
Additionally, Justice Egwuatu imposed a ₦500,000 fine on Gummi and the other defendants, stressing that political mandates belong to the electorate, not to individual politicians.
