By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Hon. Abubakar Gummi, the lawmaker representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu declared Gummi’s defection unconstitutional, ordering him to vacate his seat with immediate effect. The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 30 days to fill the vacant position.
In a stern rebuke of what he described as “political prostitution,” Justice Egwuatu said, “Politicians should respect the wishes of the electorate that elected them into office. It is legally and morally wrong for a politician to abandon the party under which platform he or she was elected and move to a rival party without relinquishing the mandate.”
The judge further ruled that Hon. Gummi must refund all salaries, allowances, and entitlements received from October 30, 2024, till the date of the judgment, and submit proof of refund to the court’s registry within 30 days.
Justice Egwuatu also restrained the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, from recognising Gummi as a member of the House, and awarded ₦500,000 in costs to the plaintiffs.
Hon. Gummi defected from the PDP to the APC in October 2024, a move that sparked controversy in Zamfara State, which remains under PDP control led by Governor Dauda Lawal.