Court sacks 2 PDP reps, says their emergence was unlawful

The federal high court in Abuja has sacked Stella Ngwu and Dennis Agbo from the house of representatives over their “unlawful emergence”.

Okon Abang, the judge, ruled that the emergence of the duo representing Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani and Igbo-Eze North/Udenu federal constituencies, respectively, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was unlawful.

The ruling was sequel to prayers by Gabriel Okafor and Chijioke Ugwu, who had approached the court in separate suits arguing that the lawmakers were not elected by delegates in the PDP congresses held in 2014.

They prayed the court to declare the election null and void.

At the court on Tuesday, Abang held: “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.

“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 further ordered Ngwu and Agbo to return all the financial entitlements they had got right from the inception of the 8th house.

He also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Okafor and Ugwu with certificates of return immediately.