Admin l Tuesday, March 08, 2022
ABUJA, Nigeria – A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja today ordered Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. David Umahi and his deputy, Mr. Kelechi Igwe to vacate their office for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressive Congress, APC.
Justice Inyang Ekwo also said that the APC, which was the second defendant in the suit failed to challenge the case of the complainant but rather focused on the competence of the complainant instead of the substantive suit.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the total number of 393, 042 votes governor Umahi secured during the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi state, belonged to the PDP and that same could not be legally transferred to the APC.
According to the judge, having defected to the APC, both Umahi and his deputy, not only jettisoned the PDP, but also the votes that belonged to it, stressing that the outcome of the elections shows that the office of the governor and deputy belong to the plaintiff and not APC and consequently ordered both Umahi and Igwe to immediately vacate their positions.
Justice Inyang also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately receive from the PDP, names of persons to replace Umahi and his Deputy, or in the alternative, conduct a fresh gubernatorial election in Ebonyi state in line with section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The court further restrained both Umahi and Igwe from further parading themselves as governor or deputy governor of Ebonyi state.
