Court Sacks Nigerian Senator, Declares Seat Vacant

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sacked Senator Bassey Akpan as the lawmaker representing Uyo Senatorial district in the Senate for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

Naija News reports that the Court also declared Senator Akpan’s seat vacant and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye election to fill the vacant office.

The ruling was given on Friday by the presiding Judge, Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu.

The Judge further ruled that the Senator should refund to the National Assembly all the monies and entitlements received after July 2022, being the time he defected from PDP to YPP without any problem in the previous party.

In a suit no, FHC/ABJ/CS/1249/2022, Justice Aminu ruled that Senator Akpan, who was sponsored to the office of a Senator by the PDP, is no longer qualified to retain his seat in the Senate having resigned his membership of the PDP before the expiration of the period for which he was elected to represent the people of Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

Justice Aminu said, “in accordance with section 65(2)[B] of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, I hereby declare Senator Akpan’s seat vacant.”