Declare Ekweremadu’s seat vacant – Ex-Enugu senatorial candidate tells court

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for the Enugu West Senatorial District in the 2019 general election, Chief Ogochukwu Onyema, has asked a Federal High Court, to declare Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s seat vacant.

Senator Ekweremadu is currently in detention in London, the United Kingdom, over alleged organ harvesting. The senator and his wife are both standing trial over alleged organ harvest for their sick daughter.

In the suit marked FHC/EN/CS/7/2022 and filed at the Federal High Court, Enugu, Onyema asked the court to grant an order of the court mandating the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and PDP to “select, nominate, and forward” his name to the National Assembly “as a replacement” for Ekweremadu.

Onyeama also prayed the court to mandate the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and INEC to “withdraw or revoke, as the case may be, the Certificate of Return earlier issued to the 3rd defendant (Ekweremadu) and issue a fresh Certificate of Return” to him.

In an originating summons, Onyema asked the court toa mong other things determine

“Whether by virtue of the continuous absence of the 3rd defendant (Ekweremadu) from the Senate since 22nd day of June 2022 or days prior (when he last attended the sitting of the Senate), up till the date of adaptation of this Summons, or any other date thereafter, it could be said that the 3rd defendant is still validly representing the plaintiff (Chief Onyema) and Enugu West Senatorial District, as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senate Standing Order 2015 as amended, in Nigeria Senate.”

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.