Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha of Taraba South was removed from office by a Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, for joining the APC.
Justice Simon Amobeda issued the ruling in a case with the file number FHC/JAL/CS/9/2022 that the Peoples Democratic Party had filed before the court, ordering Bwacha to resign his position as a senator right away.
Emmanuel Bwacha lost his seat in the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by defecting from the plaintiff (PDP) to the second defendant (APC) during the tenure of the senate to which he was elected in the 2019 general election, according to the ruling handed down on Thursday.
The judge cited section 68(1) (g) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution in his ruling and concluded that the plaintiff had made a strong case and was therefore entitled to the reliefs requested.
Part of the judgement read, “the 4th defendant (The Senate President) shall immediately declare as vacant the seat of the 1st defendant in the Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The 3rd Defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission) shall immediately conduct a bye-election among the candidates that contested the 2019 general elections for Taraba South Senatorial District of Taraba State.
“Leave is hereby given to the plaintiff to present another candidate to fill the vacancy created by the 1st defendant’s defection to the 2nd defendant not later than 90 days from the date of this judgement,” the judgement read.
This is so even as the court prohibited Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, his representatives, or privies from accessing the allowances due to the seat’s occupant until the election was completed and a winner was declared.
