A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.

The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.

The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.

According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”

The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.

The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.

Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.

Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.

“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.

The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.

Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday charged the newly decorated service chiefs to act decisively against emerging security threats, warning that “new snakes must be smashed right in the head before they grow.”

Speaking at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, where the four security chiefs were decorated with their ranks, the President said their appointment “marks the beginning of a renewed effort to ensure peace and security for all Nigerians.”

“Today’s ceremony is beyond the symbolism of decoration. It marks the beginning of our renewed effort to ensure the peace and security of all Nigerians.

“Each of you has been carefully selected for this critical task. Security is an essential element without which everything else is rendered meaningless.

“Our people and our nation must remain secure to enjoy the benefits of governance,” Tinubu said.

At the ceremony attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, senior government officials and the spouses of the officers, who were all dressed in their respective force uniforms, the President conferred ranks on General Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff), Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shuaib (Chief of Army Staff), Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke (Chief of Air Staff), and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff).

Thursday’s event followed the Senate’s confirmation of the nominees a day earlier after a two-hour closed-door screening.

Referring to Shuaib, who sustained injuries during previous counter-insurgency operations in the North-East, Tinubu commended the officers for their courage and teamwork.

“To General Shuaib, I understand you were injured; you recuperated. I saw many stories and clips online of Operation Hadin-Kai. All of you, working together as a team, have made the country proud,” he said.

The President praised the military for reclaiming territories once held by terrorists and rescuing countless victims of abductions but said the government would not relent until peace is fully restored.

“However, challenges remain. Security threats are constantly evolving and mutating.

“Of grave concern is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South.

“We must not allow these threats to fester,” Tinubu warned.

He urged the new military heads to be decisive and proactive.

“Let us smash the new snakes right in the head. Nigerians expect results, not excuses. We are in a hurry to celebrate peace,” he affirmed.

He urged the military leaders to embrace innovation, intelligence sharing, and technology-driven operations, assuring them of his administration’s full backing.

“Be innovative, pre-emptive, and courageous. Deploy technology where necessary.

“We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer. It is time to defeat the enemies,” he said.

Tinubu encouraged the service chiefs to share information effectively, and follow up proactively.

He said, “Work with other security agencies to defeat this enemy once and for all. We need to clean them up, clear them out. I promise to provide all the support you need to get the job done.”

Tinubu also reaffirmed the military’s role as the “shield of the nation,” urging them to uphold patriotism and discipline while safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“I sincerely appreciate your sacrifices as your Commander-in-Chief. I have repeatedly acknowledged them, and I will continue to do so,” he said.

The decoration comes barely a week after the President’s second major shake-up of the armed forces since assuming office.

The Presidency had dismissed rumours linking the reshuffle to an alleged coup plot, insisting it was aimed at “injecting new direction” into the security architecture.

The Punch

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of “weaponising hunger” and using food prices as a political tool, alleging that the Federal Government’s claims of improved local food production are false and intended to mislead Nigerians.

According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the government’s economic narrative as “deceptive,” saying it was designed to create an illusion of progress while millions of Nigerians continue to face worsening hardship.

“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s misleading narrative around the so-called drop in food prices. Contrary to what is being celebrated in official circles, the reality on the ground, as confirmed by the voices of struggling farmers and families across the country, is that the Tinubu government is manipulating food prices and weaponising hunger for political gains,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC claimed that the reported fall in food prices was not a result of improved local production, but rather an artificial outcome of government import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign goods.

“The reported drop in the prices of some food items is artificial, and a result of import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign food. It is neither evidence of sound policy nor proof of increased local production.

“And while that may offer momentary relief in food prices, it has, and will, come at the heavy cost of sabotaging local farmers who can no longer compete due to soaring input costs, especially fertilisers, and worsening insecurity,” Abdullahi stated.

The party further criticised the government’s claim that its agricultural policies were encouraging domestic production, calling the assertion “dishonest” and “out of touch with reality.”
“Additionally, we find it particularly strange and dishonest for the government to claim that its policies are encouraging domestic production at a time when many farmers have been displaced by bandits, and those who remain are barely able to afford the cost of planting. How can production be increasing when the rural economy is under siege by bandits, and the costs of planting are now beyond the reach of the average farmer?” the party queried.

Rejecting government denials that imported food had been released into the market, the ADC described such claims as “false and cynical,” questioning the logic behind hoarding food in the face of national hunger.

“We also take note of the government’s claim that it has not released imported food into the market. If we are to even momentarily entertain this falsehood, it begs an even more damning question: why is the government hoarding food while the people go hungry? What sort of administration stores food in warehouses during a hunger crisis?” the ADC said.

The opposition party warned that any current decline in food prices was “temporary and unsustainable,” insisting that the government was engaging in propaganda rather than genuine economic reform.

“This is propaganda. What we are witnessing is a deliberate manipulation of food prices for short-term political gain, designed to create the illusion of economic progress while citizens continue to suffer. Any current drop in price is temporary, unsustainable, and driven by panic, not strategy and deliberate planning,” Abdullahi maintained.

Calling for urgent reforms, the ADC urged the Federal Government to “end the politicisation of hunger” and prioritise policies that safeguard local farmers, ensure fair pricing, and guarantee long-term food security.

“The ADC condemns in the strongest terms the weaponisation of hunger and calls for a complete overhaul of the current agricultural approach. We must protect local producers, address rural insecurity, and invest in long-term food sovereignty, not temporary political optics,” Abdullahi stated.

The party concluded by urging the government to put citizens’ welfare above politics, saying: “The Nigerian people deserve truth and food, not manipulation and a false narrative of renewed hope.”