A member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Idu, was on Thursday ordered to vacate his office by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Idu, who was inaugurated as a member of the 8th National Assembly, represented Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency of Anambra State.
Delivering its judgement, the court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, also cancelled the certificate of return issued Idu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The judge ordered that Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, the original candidate of the PDP be given a certificate of return as the winner of the election.
Chuba-Ikpeazu had gone to court to challenge the substitution of her name, which INEC had acknowledged, with that of Idu. She listed her party, INEC, the National Working Committee of the PDP and Idu as defendants.
Justice Ademola granted all the plaintiff’s prayers saying the substitution of her name with that of Idu was a violation of the provisions of sections 31(2)(j) and 50 of the PDP Constitution; sections 31(1)(2) and 33 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended); section 222(c)of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 25 (xii) of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections, 2014 of the PDP.
Delivering his orders, the judge directed INEC to issue Chuba-Ikpeazu a fresh certificate of return and further ordered the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and the Clerk of the National Assembly to swear her into the House with immediate effect.
