The Supreme Court on Friday sacked the three senators and 11 members of the House of Representatives representing Anambra State.
The senators are Andy Uba, Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife.
Delivering judgement, Justice Binta Ogunbiyi held that the lawmakers were illegally foisted on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by an unrecognised state executive of the party led by Chief Chukwudi Okasa.
Ogunbiyi held that the Chief Ejike Oguebego-led executive was the only constitutionally recognised leadership of the PDP to conduct the party’s primaries.
The decision prematurely terminates the tenure of the former Aviation minister Oduah in the senate.
It also quashed the legislative career of Senator Andy Uba, presidential aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ogunbiyi ruled that the candidates who emerged from the primaries conducted by the Oguebego-led group were the true representatives from the state to occupy the vacant seats.
“The decision of the apex court is done to restore justice and discourage impunity in the polity.
“The judgment also lays out the proper procedures for selection of political parties legislative candidates,’’ she held.
Mr Chris Uba, Sen. Andy Uba younger brother and Prince John Emeka are expected to take over the seats vacated by Uba and Oduah respectively.
A bye-election would be conducted to fill the senatorial seat occupied by Senator Uche Ekwunife, who was sacked on December 2015 by the Court of Appeal.
In December 2014, the Federal High Court had ruled that the Ejike Oguebego-led executive was the only constitutionally recognised leadership of the party in Anambra that could conduct the PDP primaries.
Despite that ruling, the parallel state executive of the PDP led by Chief Chukwudi Okasa went ahead to conduct parallel primaries.
By this judgement, the apex court reaffirmed the verdict of the Federal High Court declaring that the Oguebego-led executive had the sole right to conduct the primaries in that State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) supervised the primaries conducted by Oguebego’s executive on December 6 and 7, 2014 .
At the end of the exercise, the NWC of the PDP and INEC declared Chris Uba winner for Anambra South, Prince John Emeka for Anambra North, and Annie Okonkwo for Anambra Central.
