PDP Leaders Seek Court Order to Remove Rep Ikenga Ugochinyere from National Assembly

Four prominent leaders of the Imo Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order for Rep Ikenga Ugochinyere to vacate his seat in the House of Representatives following his expulsion from the party.

The chieftains, in a fresh lawsuit filed by their lawyer, Johnson Usman, SAN, are also asking the court to direct Ugochinyere to refund all salaries, allowances, and emoluments he has received since his expulsion. Ugochinyere currently represents Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The plaintiffs—Mr. Austine Nwachukwu, the PDP Chairman in Imo; Mr. Thankgod Okeke, the PDP LGA Chairman for Ideato North; Mrs. Agatha Onyejisi, the PDP Ward Chairman for Umuopia/Umukegwu Ward in Ideato North; and Mr. Carl Nwokoma, the PDP Vice Chairman/Orlu Zonal Chairman—filed the originating summons, which is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/358/2025. The suit, filed on February 27, names Ugochinyere, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.

The chieftains are asking the court to determine whether a member of the National Assembly who loses their party membership before the end of their term automatically forfeits their seat, as stipulated in Sections 65(2)(b) and 68(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution. They also want to know whether Ugochinyere, who was expelled from the PDP before completing his term, has lost his seat in the House of Representatives.

“Whether by virtue of the provisions of Sections 65 (2b), 68(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, the 1st defendant (Ugochinyere) who was expelled from the 3rd defendant (PDP), before the expiration of the term for which he was elected, has automatically lost his seat in the National Assembly,” the plaintiffs ask in the suit.

They further argue that, according to Section 68(2) of the Constitution, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is legally obligated to declare Ugochinyere’s seat vacant, and they are requesting the court to direct INEC to conduct a bye-election for the Ideato North and South Constituency within 90 days.

In his affidavit, Nwachukwu, the Imo PDP Chairman and the first plaintiff, stated that Ugochinyere, who was elected in the 2023 general elections on the PDP platform, was a registered member of the party at the Umuopia/Umukegwu Ward. Nwachukwu alleges that Ugochinyere engaged in anti-party activities, leading to his invitation to appear before the PDP’s Disciplinary Committee. Despite multiple invitations—one dated September 30, 2024, and a reminder on October 7, 2024—Ugochinyere failed to attend. Consequently, he was suspended from the party on October 14, 2024, for his alleged misconduct.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, has not yet been assigned to any judge for consideration.