By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi October 31, 2025
adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Abubakar Suleiman Gummi, the lawmaker representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, from the House of Representatives for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) without constitutional justification.
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Delivering judgment on Thursday in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Gummi’s defection violated Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates automatic vacancy of a seat upon switching parties unless there is a verifiable division within the original party. “Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” the judge declared, ordering House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to immediately cease recognizing Gummi as a member and directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a by-election within 30 days to fill the vacancy.
The court also restrained Gummi from drawing salaries or allowances from October 30, 2024 the date of his defection mandating a refund of all payments received since then, with proof to be filed within 30 days. Additionally, Justice Egwuatu awarded ₦500,000 in costs against the defendants in favor of the plaintiffs.
The suit was filed by the PDP and its Zamfara State Chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki, through Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ibrahim Bawa. The plaintiffs argued that Gummi, elected on the PDP platform in 2023, abandoned the party for personal or political gain, without evidence of internal strife as required by the Constitution. They sought declarations that his continued occupation of the seat was unlawful and urged the Speaker to declare it vacant.
Gummi, in his counter-affidavit, claimed his exit was compelled by “lingering unresolved internal and external crises” at national, state, and constituency levels within the PDP, which allegedly hindered effective representation and equitable distribution of democratic dividends. He insisted the move to APC was necessary for constituency interests.
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Dismissing these claims, Justice Egwuatu held that Gummi failed to provide cogent evidence of a party split, rendering his defection unconstitutional. “The exception in Section 68(1)(g) is narrow and must be strictly interpreted to prevent abuse,” the judge noted, emphasizing that mere allegations of discord do not suffice.
The ruling has electrified the PDP, with National Publicity Secretary Deji Chutus hailing it as a “victory for constitutionalism and party loyalty.” “This sends a clear message: Opportunistic defections will no longer erode the mandates of the people,” Chutus told reporters outside the court. Zamfara PDP Chairman Jibomagayaki echoed the sentiment, vowing to reclaim the seat in the impending by-election.
APC stakeholders, however, decried the judgment as “judicial overreach.” House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, an APC member, called for an appeal, arguing it could destabilize the ruling party’s fragile Northwest hold. Gummi, speaking briefly post-judgment, vowed to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, insisting: “My defection was in the interest of Gummi/Bukkuyum the court erred in fact and law.”
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The decision arrives amid a national defection frenzy, including Thursday’s mass switch of five Enugu lawmakers to APC and similar realignments in Delta and Plateau. It recalls the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmation of defection penalties, reinforcing Section 68’s bite though enforcement remains inconsistent, with over 20 such cases pending nationwide.
Gummi/Bukkuyum, a banditry-plagued constituency in Zamfara’s volatile Northwest, now faces a high-stakes rerun that could tip the state’s delicate PDP-APC balance. Zamfara, under APC Governor Dauda Lawal, has seen heightened insecurity, with recent bandit raids in Kauru underscoring the urgency of representation.
Analysts predict the by-election, slated within 30 days, will test President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” security push, including the new service chiefs’ mandates. For the PDP, it’s a chance to rebound; for APC, a risk of backlash amid Emir Sanusi’s recent warnings against sycophantic politics.
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As Gummi exits the Green Chamber his salary frozen and refund looming the ruling stands as a stark reminder: In Nigeria’s fluid political arena, loyalty has a price, and mandates belong to voters, not wanderers.
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