The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alongside 45 lawmakers earlier than the Federal High Court in Abuja over the defection of lawmakers elected on its platform in 2023.
The swimsuit, filed by means of the regulation agency Lex Firma LP, sought judicial interpretation and enforcement of constitutional provisions governing the defection of elected legislators from the political events on whose platforms they secured their mandates.
According to an affidavit filed in assist of the swimsuit, the NNPP challenged the alleged defection of 45 lawmakers comprising members of the Kano State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and Senators who have been elected on its platform within the 2023 normal elections. The lawmakers have been elected on NNPP for a four-year time period that runs until June 2027.
The social gathering alleged that the affected lawmakers deserted the NNPP and joined the opposite political events whereas nonetheless occupying the legislative seats they secured beneath its platform, with out following the procedures it thought-about vital for terminating their membership.
The NNPP additional alleged that a number of the lawmakers had already been listed by INEC as candidates of different events for the 2027 normal elections, elevating questions in regards to the legality of their nominations and continued occupation of their present legislative seats.
Specifically, the social gathering recognized some Kano state lawmakers, whose names reportedly appeared on INEC’s last listing of candidates for the 2027 state home of meeting election as different social gathering candidates.
The social gathering earlier despatched a letter dated 19 October to INEC, drawing the electoral physique’s consideration to the defections and calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the lawmakers’ purported resignations and subsequent membership of different events.
It expressed concern that the affected legislators nonetheless have their names on the NNPP membership register whereas concurrently being registered as members of different events, a state of affairs it argued violated the statutory provisions regulating political-party membership.
The social gathering additionally maintained that the alleged defections occurred with out the requisite clearance from its Board of Trustees and electoral tips, citing Articles 8.2(a), 8.2(b) and eight.3(a) of its structure.
The NNPP relied on judgements delivered by the Abia State High Court on 1 November 2024, in Suit No. HUZ/11/2024, and the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal on 30 March 2026, in Appeal No. CA/OW/271/2025, which, it stated, affirmed the authority of its board of trustees and founding father of NNPP in issues regarding the social gathering’s administration.
The social gathering additional argued that it had not merged with any political social gathering nor ceased to exist as a registered political social gathering, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the alleged defections didn’t fall throughout the constitutional exceptions that permitted legislators to defect with out dropping their seats.
The social gathering, nonetheless, said that it’s looking for judicial dedication of the constitutional implications of the alleged defections, significantly beneath Sections 68(1)(g), 68(2), 109(1)(g) and 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“These provisions handle circumstances beneath which members of the nationwide meeting and state homes of meeting could lose their seats following a change of political-party membership, topic to constitutionally recognised exceptions.
“We also want the relevant legislative authorities to be notified of the alleged defections and appropriate constitutional steps taken, concerning the affected seats, including possibility of declaring them vacant and conducting bye-elections.”
The NNPP, which fielded former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as its presidential candidate in 2023, said that it’s ready to take part in any bye-elections lawfully performed within the affected constituencies. Mr Kwankwaso is the working mate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi for the upcoming 2027 normal elections.
The affidavit in assist of the swimsuit was sworn by Junia Oludare, a litigation secretary with Lex Firma LP, and sworn to on the Federal High Court Registry, Abuja, on Oct. 27, 2026.
Recall that Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees of the NNPP stated that the social gathering won’t settle for interventions to backdate the resignation of members who failed to finish the method earlier than the social gathering notified INEC of their alleged non-compliance with its structure.
He warned that any try and falsify resignation information would quantity to criminality, urging people approaching its leaders to hunt backdated documentation to desist from such acts.
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In its 19 October letter despatched to INEC, the NNPP alleged that Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, 18 members of the House of Representatives, 28 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and two senators elected on its platform in 2023 had did not fulfil the necessities for lawful resignation.
According to the social gathering, the affected politicians have since moved to different political events and are pursuing political ambitions forward of the 2027 normal elections with out finishing the required resignation procedures.
“The current suit is expected to test the constitutional boundaries of political defection by elected lawmakers, the circumstances under which legislative seats may become vacant and INEC’s responsibilities in ensuring compliance with electoral laws ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the affidavit added.
(NAN)
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