NewsAppeal Court Voids Ruling Sacking Umahi, Deputy

Appeal Court Voids Ruling Sacking Umahi, Deputy

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October 28, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, sacking Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and his deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe.

THEWILL recalls that Justice Inyang Ekwo, on March 8, 2022, sacked Umahi and his deputy, over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice 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 same could not be legally transferred to the 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.

However, a three-member panel of the appellate court in their judgement on Friday, held that the 1999 Constitution did not provide any punishment for a governor or deputy governor who defected from the party on which platform he/she got to office.

In the lead judgement, Justice Haruna Tsanami of the appellate court, held that the only option opened to a political party, aggrieved by the defection of a governor or deputy governor, is to explore the impeachment option provided in the Constitution.

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