March 08, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi and his Deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe to immediately vacate their offices having unlawfully defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court, in a judgement that was delivered by 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 same could not be legally transferred to the APC.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Tuesday, held that having defected from the party on which platform they won the election, Umahi and Igwe are deemed to have resigned their offices.
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 politcal party.”
Justice Ekwo ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept from PDP names of its members to replace Umahi and Igwe, to serve out the remaining part of their tenure or, in the alternative, conduct fresh election to replace Umahi and Igwe.
The judge, among others, restrained Umahi and Igwe from further holding themselves out or parading themselves as the governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi state.
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