Judiciary Shakes National Assembly Landscape: Court Ousts Elisha Abbo, Bagos, and 16 Others
In a seismic shift within Nigeria’s political landscape, the Court of Appeal has delivered a series of blows to members of the National Assembly, reshaping the composition of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The unprecedented judicial verdicts come after five months of intense election litigation battles.
In the Senate, the Court of Appeal has ousted five lawmakers, altering the political balance. The All Progressives Congress (APC) lost one seat but gained two, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gained three but lost two. The Labour Party also lost one seat.
Naira crashes against Dollar amid CBN intervention
The House of Representatives witnessed a more substantial shake-up, with the Court sacking no less than 12 lawmakers. Out of these, eight belonged to the PDP, three to the Labour Party, and one to the APC. On the flip side, the APC gained eight seats, PDP secured two, NNPP claimed one, and APGA secured another.
Among the notable figures affected by these verdicts are:
Elisha Abbo, Adamawa APC:
The controversial legislator was sacked by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, declaring Amos Yohanna as the winner of Adamawa North Senatorial District.
Abbo, infamous for a publicized incident involving the assault of a lady in a sex toy shop in Abuja, faced the Court’s decision based on electoral irregularities and manipulation of results.
Jurgen Klopp Lauds Darwin Nunez’s Impact in Liverpool’s 3-0 Triumph Over Brentford
Darlington Nwokocha, Abia LP:
The former minority whip of the Senate lost his seat as the Court of Appeal in Lagos declared Augustine Akobundu of the PDP as the winner of Abia Central Senatorial District.
Despite winning the election by a significant margin, pre-election complications led to Nwokocha’s removal.
Abubakar Ohere, Kogi APC:
Governor Yahaya Bello’s ally, Ohere, lost to Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan at both the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
The tribunal had initially sacked Ohere as the Senator representing Kogi West, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal.
Napoleon Bali, Plateau PDP:
The Court ruled that the PDP had no structure in Plateau State before its primary elections, leading to the removal of Bali and the declaration of Simon Lalong, a former governor and Minister of Labour and Employment, as the Senator for Plateau South.
Bali fell victim to the crisis rocking the PDP in Plateau State, and the Appeal Court continued to sack PDP lawmakers from Plateau State.
Simon Mwadkwon, Plateau PDP:
The minority leader fell victim to the PDP crisis in Plateau State. The Court of Appeal sacked him and ordered a rerun within 90 days.
The House of Representatives also witnessed significant changes, with multiple lawmakers, including Simon Bagos, Chijioke Okereke, Stainless Nwodo, and others, facing the axe.
These legal upheavals signal a profound transformation in the political landscape, leaving the affected lawmakers and their constituents grappling with the consequences of these judicial decisions. The ripple effects of these judgments are likely to reverberate through Nigeria’s political corridors in the coming days.
