Why Court Sacked Gov Umahi, Deputy, 16 Lawmakers

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, from their respective offices, following their defection from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
The court equally ordered 16 members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly that joined the governor and his deputy in the defection to APC on November 17, 2020, to vacate their seats and refund all salaries and monies received from the day they defected to the APC.
The lawmakers include Odefa Obasi Odefa, Victor Uzoma Chukwu, Kingsley Ikoro, Benjamin Uzoma, Joseph Unuhu, Nkemka Okoro, Anthony Nwegede and Chinwe Nwachukwu.
Others are Onu Nwonye, Friday Nwuhuo, Moses Odunwa, Chinedu Awo, Chinedu Ona, Chukwuma Igwe, Chukwu Lucas and Francis Nwifuru.
The judgements followed two suits, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/920/21 and FHC/ABJ/CS/ 104/21, which the PDP lodged before the court.
Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the total number of 393, 343 votes Governor Umahi secured during the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi State, belonged to the PDP and the same could not be legally transferred to APC.
According to the court, having defected to the APC, both Umahi and his deputy not only jettisoned the PDP, but also the votes that belonged to it.
It held that going by the outcome of the governorship election, the offices of the governor and deputy governor in Ebonyi State, belong to the Plaintiff and no other political party.