Barely six months after the inauguration of the 10th Senate, five out of the 109 senators sworn in, Tuesday, June13, 2023 have been replaced on the orders of rulings from the Court of Appeal which heard litigations brought against them.
Aside from the five replaced senators, David Umahi (Ebonyi North) vacated the 10th senate about three months ago on account of his acceptance of ministerial position given him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Ebonyi North senatorial seat of Umahi is still vacant in the Senate due to his resignation from after obtaining victory at both Election Petitions Tribunal and Court of Appeal.
However, the seats of five senators who lost out in the courts have been replaced by those declared as duly elected in the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
First to be removed was Senator Elisha Abbo (APC Adamawa North) whose victory was annulled by the court of Appeal on the 16th of last month in favour of Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Senator Abubakar Ohere (APC Kogi Central) was also thrown out of the Senate by judicial pronouncement and replaced by Natasha Akpoti – Uduaghan of the PDP.
The former Minority Whip of the 10th Senate, Darlington Nwokoacha of the Labour Party from Abia Central also suffered a similar fate with his replacement by Austin Akobundu of the PDP.
Former Minority Leader of the 10th Senate, Simon Davou Nwadkwom (PDP Plateau North) was also kicked out by the Court of Appeal on the strength of litigation against him by Christopher Musa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who now occupies the seat.
The same fate befell Senator Napoleon Bali (PDP Plateau South) who is to be replaced by former governor of Plateau state and incumbent Minister of Labour and Employment Simeon Lalong, affirmed by the Court of Appeal as duly elected in the February 25, 2023 election on the platform of APC.
The judicial pronouncements from the various litigations also affected political parties ‘ membership composition in the 10th Senate which now stands at APC 60 senators, PDP 37 senators, Labour Party 7 senators, Social Democratic Party 2 senators and New Nigeria Peoples Party 2 senators; totalling 108 with Ebonyi South senatorial seat yet to be filled through a bye-election to be conducted by INEC any time from next month.
