Zamfara Representative sacked for defection
A federal high court in Abuja has removed Abubakar Gummi, the Member of the House of Representatives for Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, from office following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The judgment, delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court (Abuja Division), held that Gummi’s defection contravened Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) because there was no verified division within the PDP at the time of his move.
The court ordered that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, must cease recognizing Gummi as the representative for the constituency. The ruling mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election for the seat within 30 days. In addition, Gummi was ordered to refund all salaries and allowances received from 30 October 2024 until the date of the judgement, in keeping with the court’s directive.
In deferring to constitutional principle, Justice Egwuatu stressed that when voters choose a candidate on the platform of a particular party, it is legally and morally inappropriate for that person to abandon the platform mid-term and carry the mandate with them to a rival party. The judge described such practices as “political prostitution” and affirmed that the law must penalize politicians who attempt to transfer the votes of one party into another.
While Gummi argued that internal crises within the PDP hampered his ability to represent his constituents and justified his defection, the court dismissed these claims as insufficient to trigger the constitutional exception for defection. The judgment underscores that the exception applies only where the original party has undergone a division or substantial collapse.
