A Federal High Court in Jalingo the Taraba State capital has sacked Emmanuel Bwacha as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Simon Amobeda in his ruling ordered him to immediately vacate his seat as a Senator. He argued that his mandate in the Red Chamber belongs to the Peoples Democrat Party (PDP), the platform under which he was elected, not APC.
The PDP in the State had approached the court to declare the Senator’s seat vacant for dumping the party on which he was elected.
The Public Relations Officer of APC who reacted to the judgement said that it does not come to them as a surprise based on the judge’s antecedents. He added that the ruling will be challenged at a higher court while the PDP commended the judgement.
In another development, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, disqualified 16 House of Assembly candidates of the All Progressive Congress from contesting the 2023 elections for non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Turaki Adamu, gave the ruling on Friday, following a suit instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party for non-monitoring of the APC legislative primary by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Suit Number FHC/PH/CS/152/2022.
The councils and constituencies affected are: Obio/Akpor 1 and 2, Andoni, Okrika, Ahoada west, Khana1and 2, PH 1, 2 and 3, Etche 1and 2 Oyigbo, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
In a swift reaction, spokesman, 2023 Elections Campaign Council of the Rivers APC, Sogbeye Eli, expressed surprised at the judgement, but said the party would never break despite being stretched by anti-democratic forces.
In a statement on Friday, he said, “The 2023 Elections Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress received with surprise the news of another judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt this afternoon ordering the disqualification of our candidates for the Rivers State House of Assembly in 16 State Constituencies for the March 11, 2022 general elections.
“In the circumstance, the Campaign Council is compelled yet again to urge party faithful and millions of Rivers people supporting our candidates in the affected state constituencies not to despair or be agitated as we proceed on appeal to reverse the judgment and restore our candidates ahead of the elections.
“The enemies of democracy in our State who are afraid to meet us at the polls are out to break our spirit and force a fait accompli on the Rivers electorate who are backing our candidates.
“But they have failed. We will contest the coming elections at all levels and win after setting aside this judgment as the Constitution allows the All Progressives Congress.”
