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A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives, ruling that the Zamfara lawmaker forfeited his mandate the moment he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the hammer on Thursday, declaring Gummi’s defection “unconstitutional, illegal, and morally indefensible” since there was no faction in the PDP at the time — the only constitutional excuse for a lawmaker to jump ship.

The court barred Speaker Tajudeen Abbas from recognising Gummi henceforth and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh poll for the Gummi/Bukkuyum federal constituency within 30 days.

The PDP and its Zamfara chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki, dragged Gummi to court (Suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024), insisting he walked away with a mandate that belonged to the party and the electorate. They argued that the speaker’s refusal to declare the seat vacant violated Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.

Gummi tried to justify his move, citing “lingering unresolved crises” within the PDP which he claimed crippled his ability to serve his constituents. But the court wasn’t buying any of it.

Justice Egwuatu not only dismissed Gummi’s defence — he issued a blistering reprimand against Nigeria’s ritual of opportunistic political cross-carpeting.

“Politicians should respect the wishes of the electorate,” the judge scolded. “It is legally and morally wrong for a politician to abandon the party under whose platform he or she was elected into office and move to a rival party without relinquishing the mandate. Political prostitution must not be rewarded.”

He went further, declaring Gummi’s seat “automatically vacant” and ordering him to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, up to the judgment date — with proof of repayment to be filed in court within 30 days. The court also awarded N500,000 costs against him.

In one swing, the court not only sacked Gummi but sent a clear message to habitual defectors: the days of treating political mandates like personal property may finally be numbered.