Two Pdp Federal Lawmakers Ordered To Vacate Seats

SAN FRANCISCO, October 18, (THEWILL) – Justice Okon Abang has sacked two members of the House of Representatives from Enugu State saying they were not dully elected as flag bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its primaries in December 2014, ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The affected lawmakers are Stella Ngwu from Igbo-Etiti and Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency, and Dennis Agbo from Igbo-Eze North and Udenu Federal Constituency.

Two other members of the party, Gabriel Okafor and Chijioke Ugwu, had approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja with the PDP and its National Working Committee as the 1st and 2nd defendants in the suits, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was the 3rd defendant. Ms. Ngwu and Mr. Agbo were the 4th defendants in the two separate suits.

In his ruling, Abang held that Okafor was the rightful winner of the Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency seat election, and Ugwu won the Egbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Enugu State in 2015 declaring that the emergence of Ngwu and Agbo violated provisions of sections 85 to 89 of the Electoral Act, 2010 and Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections.

“It is hereby declared that the 4th defendant did not emerge as winner from the primary election conducted for the purpose of electing the House of Representatives' candidate of the 1st defendant for Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency for 2015 general election since the primary election that purportedly produced her as winner was not conducted based on the list of delegates that emerged from ward congresses of the 1st defendant held on 1st November, 2014,” he ruled.

“It is hereby declared that the plaintiff, Dr. Gabriel .A. Okafor won PDP's party primary election on 6th December,2014 for Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency election into the House of Representatives.

“It is hereby declared that the 4th defendant did not emerge as a winner from the primary election conducted for the purpose of electing the House of Representatives' candidate of the 1st defendant for Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency for 2015 general election since the primary election that purportedly produced her as winner was not conducted based on the list of delegates that emerged from ward congresses of the 1st defendant held on 1st November, 2014.”

He ordered INEC to immediately issue certificates of return to Okafor and Ugwu respectively and awarded the sum of N100, 000 as cost against the defendants in favour of the plaintiff.

Story by Oputah David