Appeal Court reverses sack of Rep Gummi for defecting from PDP to APC

By Edith Nwapi

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday reversed the sack of a Zamfara House of Representative member Abubakar Gummi by the lower court for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to All Progressives Congress.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja had in judgment on Oct. 30, 2025 sacked Gumi for defecting from PDP to APC.

Gummi, representing the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara in the House of Representatives had defected from the PDP to the APC, citing various reasons, including the leadership crisis in the party, particularly at the national level.

Justice Egwuatu delivered the judgment in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024 filed by the PDP and the Zamfara State’s Chairman of the party Jamilu Jibomagayaki following the defection.

But in a unanimous judgment on Friday, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the trial court was wrong to have declared Gummi’s seat vacant on the grounds that he defected from the PDP on which platform he contested election to the APC.

Delivering Court of Appeal’s judgment, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi , who read the judgment held among others, that the appellant (Gummi) has an inherent right, in the face of the notorious fact of the current state of affairs in the PDP, to abandon the party.

Justice Oyewumi upheld the reasons given by Gummi in support of his decision to decamp from the PDP.

The Court further held that a party member has the right to seek for a better platform to contest election if his or her present platform is threatened.

The Court proceeded to allow the appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1606/2025.

The Court awarded a cost of N1million against the PDP and Jibomagayaki in favour of Gummi.

Gummi said the crisis in the party caused a situation where he could no longer properly represent his constituents or ensure that they all benefited from the shared distribution of democracy’s dividends within the bounds of law, without undue interference from anyone or anything

(NAN)