The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned the October 30, 2025, ruling by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, which had previously removed Abubakar Suleiman Gummi from his seat in the House of Representatives.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, a three-member panel ruled that the lower court erred in declaring the seat vacant following Gummi’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gummi, who represents the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, defended his move by citing a leadership crisis within the PDP, particularly at the national level.
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He argued that the instability prevented him from fulfilling his duties, stating that the situation made it so 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.”
Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, who delivered the appellate judgment, validated Gummi’s reasoning and emphasized that a lawmaker has the right to seek a more stable political environment.
The judge held that the appellant “has an inherent right, in the face of the notorious fact of the current state of affairs in the PDP, to abandon the party.”
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She further noted that a party member is entitled to seek a better platform if their current one is under threat.
Consequently, the court allowed the appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1606/2025, and nullified the earlier judgment in the suit filed by the PDP and its Zamfara State Chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki.
Justice Oyewumi also awarded a cost of N1 million against the PDP and Jibomagayaki in favor of Gummi.
