Court sacks Taraba senator for defecting to APC

A Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State, has sacked Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, representing Taraba South in the Senate for defecting to the All Progressive Congress, APC, after winning his election in 2019 under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Peoples Democratic Party had approached the court to claim the mandate of their party after the ex-deputy senate minority leader defected to the APC in February.

Justice Simon Amobeda who ruled on the matter Thursday, in a suit marked, FHC/JAL/CS/9/2022 told Bwacha to immediately vacate the seat.

He ruled that the first defendant Emmanuel Bwacha) by defecting from the plaintiff (PDP) to the second defendant (APC) during the life of the senate to which he was elected in the 2019 general election, lost his seat of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Citing section 68(1) (g) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, the judge held that the plaintiff successfully established his case and is therefore entitled to the grant of the reliefs sought.

Part of the judgement read, “the 4th defendant (The Senate President) shall immediately declare as vacant the seat of the 1st defendant in the Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The 3rd Defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission) shall immediately conduct a bye-election among the candidates that contested the 2019 general elections for Taraba South Senatorial District of Taraba State.”