Court Sacks Governor Umahi, Deputy For Joining APC, Orders PDP To Produce Replacement Immediately

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Delivering judgement on Tuesday, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered Umahi and his Deputy to immediately vacate their officer, asking INEC to replace them with a candidate from PDP.

He 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 cannot be transferred to the APC.

Ekwo said that following 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”.

He insisted that there is no constitutional provision that made the ballot transferrable from one party to the other.

While ordering Umahi and Kelechi Igwe to immediately vacate their positions, Justice Ekwo held that the PDP is bound to retain the votes and mandate that was given to it by electorates in Ebonyi state.

The judge 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.