An Abuja High Court has invalidated the expulsion of Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a ruling delivered by Justice N. Iheme, the court declared the purported expulsion as "baseless and illegal," affirming that Ugochinyere remains a legitimate member of both the PDP and the National Assembly under the party's constitution.
The controversy began when a faction of the Imo State PDP loyal to Senator Samuel Anyanwu announced Ugochinyere's suspension. However, the court emphasized that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party possesses the authority to discipline a serving National Assembly member according to the party's constitution.
Justice Iheme noted that the PDP's national leadership had denied any involvement in suspending or expelling Ugochinyere. The party itself submitted an affidavit confirming that no expulsion had been ordered by the NEC, which is the sole body empowered to hear allegations or establish disciplinary committees against sitting National Assembly members.
The judgment reinforces the hierarchical disciplinary structure within political parties and clarifies the limits of state-level party factions' authority over elected federal legislators.
