Four Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Imo State have prayed a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the lawmaker representing Ideato North and South constituency at the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, to refund all salaries, allowances, and emoluments received since his alleged expulsion from the party.
The PDP leaders led by Imo State PDP Chairman, Austine Nwachukwu filed a suit urging the court to remove the court to remove Ugochinyere from the green chamber, claiming he had been expelled.
The other plaintiffs in the suit include Thankgod Okeke (PDP Ideato North LG Chairman), Agatha Onyejisi (PDP Ward Chairman, Umuopia/Umukegwu Ward), and Carl Nwokoma (Imo PDP Vice Chairman/Orlu Zonal Chairman).
The suit, filed on February 27 by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Johnson Usman, is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/358/2025 and lists Ugochinyere, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as the 1st to 4th defendants.
The plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether, under Sections 65(2)(b) and 68(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, a National Assembly member who loses membership of the party that sponsored his election automatically forfeits his seat unless saved by constitutional exceptions.
Arguing that Ugochinyere’s expulsion from the PDP nullified his eligibility to remain in the House of Reps, the plaintiffs claimed the Speaker was obligated under Section 68(2) of the Constitution to declare his seat vacant.
The suit requests the court to, “Declare Ugochinyere is no longer a member of the National Assembly due to his expulsion from the PDP, direct the Speaker to declare his seat vacant immediately, and instruct INEC to conduct a bye-election for the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency seat within 90 days.
In the affidavit supporting the suit, Nwachukwu stated that Ugochinyere was elected under the PDP platform in the 2023 general elections but was expelled for alleged anti-party activities.
According to Nwachukwu, Ugochinyere was invited by his ward’s disciplinary committee on multiple occasions in 2024 but failed to appear. As a result, he was suspended on October 14, 2024, and subsequently expelled by the PDP Local Government Executive in Ideato North on December 5, 2024.
