BREAKING: Umahi Appeals Court Order Sacking Him As Ebonyi Gov

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, and 16 members of the state House of Assembly have filed an appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which on Tuesday sacked them from office over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The governor and his co-appellants are praying the Court of Appeal in Abuja to reverse the judgment of the high court on the ground of miscarriage of justice.

Appealing the decision before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/920/2021, Umahi and his deputy stated that the Federal High Court erred when it said it had not seen any authority which propounds that where Governor or Deputy Governor defects his political party on which platform he was elected into office, he cannot be sued by that political party to reclaim its mandate.

The Appellants said, The Hon trial court was virtually setting aside the Supreme court of Nigeria’s decision in AG Federation v. Atiku Abubakar & 3 ORS (2007) LCN/3799(SC)to the effect that there are no constitutional provisions prohibiting President or vice and invariably the Governor and or deputy Governor from defecting to another Political Party.

The appeal, filed in less than 24 hours the high court booted them out of office, was brought to the appellate court on their behalf by Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh SAN.

In the notice of appeal predicated on 11 grounds, Umahi and his deputy particularly begged the Court of Appeal to allow their appeal and set aside the decision of the high court claiming that the lower court judgment was too harsh on them.

READ ALSO: Umahi/Igwe Sacks: We Are Yet To Receive Court judgement – INEC

Defector: APC Blast’s Court’s Judgment On Umahi, Deputy

State Post has reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo in a judgment on Tuesday ordered Umahi and his deputy to immediately stop holding themselves out as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.

The judge held that the votes that brought them to their respective offices belonged to the PDP and cannot hold on to the votes, having on their own elected to jettison the party that nominated them.

He also ordered the House of Assembly members not to parade themselves or make any attempt to hold themselves out as Legislators of Ebonyi House of Assembly.

Justice Ekwo held that the votes cast for PDP in the March 9, 2019 governorship election and those for the House of Assembly are not transferrable to the APC that failed in the election.