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Appeal Court Nullifies Sacking Of Dave Umahi, Deputy For Dumping PDP

Published

2 years ago

Oct 28, 2022.

The Appeal Court has reversed the sacking of Governor Dave Umahi and his Deputy for dumping the PDP for APC.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has nullified the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja sacking Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, and his deputy, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo had in his judgement delivered on March 8, 2022, held that the total number of 393, 042 votes 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.

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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 office of the governor and deputy governor in Ebonyi state, “belong to the Plaintiff and no other political party”

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 the office.

In the lead judgment, Justice Haruna Tsanami, 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.