Four leaders of the Imo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party have asked the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, to order Ikenga Ugochinyere to vacate his seat, having been expelled.

In a fresh suit filed by their lawyer, Johnson Usman, the chieftains also sought an order directing the embattled lawmaker to refund all the salaries, allowances and all emoluments collected from the date of his expulsion to the Federal Government forthwith.

Mr Ugochinyere represents Ideato North and South federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/358/2025, is dated February 26 and filed on February 27 by Mr Usman.

The plaintiffs are Austine Nwachukwu, Imo PDP chairman; Thankgod Okeke, PDP LGA chairman, Ideato North LGA; Agatha Onyejisi, PDP ward chairman of Umuopia/Umukegwu Ward in Ideato North LGA, and Carl Nwokoma, Imo PDP vice-chairman/Orlu zonal chairman.

They sued Mr Ugochinyere, the House of Representatives speaker, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission as first to fourth defendants, respectively.

The chieftains sought eight questions for determination.

They want the court to determine whether, by the provisions of Sections 65 (2)(b), 68(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), any member of the National Assembly who has lost the membership of the political party that sponsored his election before the expiration of his term automatically loses his seat in the assembly, unless saved by the exception under that section.

In the affidavit he deposed to, Nwachukwu said he is a card-carrying member and current state’s chairman of the PDP. He said that, as the first plaintiff, he had the consent and authority of the second, third, and fourth plaintiffs to depose the affidavit.

He said Mr Ugochinyere was elected as a member representing Ideato North and South federal constituency in the 2023 general elections on PDP’s platform.

Mr Nwachukwu alleged that due to his anti-party activities, Mr Ugochinyere was invited by the Umuopia/Umukegwu ward committee of the PDP by a letter dated September 30, 2024, to appear before the disciplinary committee, but he failed to honour the invitation.

He said in another reminder letter dated October 7, 2024, the lawmaker was further invited to appear before the disciplinary committee but failed to honour the invitation.

The state chairman averred that Ugochinyere was suspended on October 14, 2024, by his ward due to his anti-party activities. He said his suspension by his ward executive committee was communicated to the LGA chairman, PDP Ideato North LGA of Imo, on October 14, 2024.

He said the disciplinary committee also invited him on October 26, 2024, via a letter dated Oct. 19, 2024, but failed to honour the invitation. Mr Nwachukwu said that though he had been invited several times, he had refused to honour the invitation of the committee.

According to him, the PDP local government executives of Ideato North LGA expelled the first defendant from PDP on December 5, 2024. They communicated the same to the state chairman of the PDP on December 5, 2024.

He said he communicated the immediate expulsion of Mr Ugochinyere to the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagun, on December 9, 2024.

He said all the 27 PDP chairpersons in Imo identified with the decision of the members and leadership of PDP in Umuopia Ward and the Ideato North regarding the expulsion.

The case, which was filed on Thursday, has not been assigned to a judge.

(NAN)