The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Hon. Abubakar Gummi, who defected from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gummi, represents Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara in the House of Representatives,
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, restrained the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, from further recognising Gummi as member representing Gummi/ Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded. In total, I resolve all the issues in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants,” Justice Egwuatu said
The Judge, therefore, ordered that Gummi, having defected from PDP to APC “before the expiration of the period the house was elected, automatically loses his seat as a member of the House of Representatives.”
He made an order restraining Gummi from further receiving monies as salaries, allowances or whatsoever called in his capacity as a member representing the constituency.
In his ruling the Judge said: “Before I take my fingers off the keyboard, let me just add that politicians should respect the wishes of the electorates that elected them into office.
“A situation where the electorates have made their choices between different political parties and their candidates based on the manifestos and marketability of such a political party, it is legally and morally wrong for such a politician to abandon the party under which platform he or she was elected into office and move to a rival party without relinquishing the mandate of his or her former party.
“If a person must decamp, don’t decamp with the mandate of the electorates. Don’t transfer the votes garnered on the platform of one party to another party. A politician has no such right to transfer votes of a political party to another political party. The law must punish such moves by taking away the benefits bestowed upon the decampee politician by the electorate. And that is what Section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution has done. Political prostitution must not be rewarded. In total, I resolve all the issues in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants.”
He also made an order directing the lawmaker to refund to the Federal Government all monies collected as salaries, allowances or whatsoever called as a member representing the constituency from Oct. 30, 2024, to the date of judgment.
“An order is made directing that the evidence of the refund of all monies collected as salaries, allowances, or howsoever called be filed in the registry of this court within 30 days of the judgment of this court,” he said.
