Court Sacks PDP Rep

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Abuja Federal High Court has ordered a member of the House of Representatives from Anambra State, Godwin Idu, to vacate his seat.

Mr. Idu was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to represent Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency.

But while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, challenging Mr. Idu’s election as a PDP candidate for the election, Justice Ademola ordered that the certificate of return issued to the lawmaker be withdrawn.

In his place, the court ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issue a fresh certificate of return to Mrs. Chuba-Ikpeazu.

Similarly, the court ordered the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to swear in Mrs. Chuba-Ikpeazu.

Mrs. Chuba-Ikpeazu had filed a pre-election case challenging PDP’s substitution of her name with that of Mr. Idu after the party’s primary election.

The PDP had after submitting the name of the female politician to INEC, made a u-turn and withdrew her from the race in favour of Mr. Idu.

Justice Ademola held that the substitution of Mrs. Ikpeazu’s name violated the provisions of Sections 31(2) (j) and 50 of the PDP constitution.

Again, the judge held that the action violated Sections 31(1) (2) and 33 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as Amended) as well as Section222(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 25 (xii) of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections, 2014 of the PDP.