Skip to main content

Ebonyi Governor, Umahi’s Removal To Be Decided Once Court Ruling Is Served – Electoral Body, INEC

On Tuesday, Umahi was removed as the state governor by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it would take action against ousted-Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, when it receives documents from the ruling court.

On Tuesday, Umahi was removed as the state governor by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Image

The court said Umahi had forfeited his governorship when he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress last year.

“The Commission has not been served with a copy of the said judgement. The Commission will meet and take a decision when it is served with a Certified True Copy of the judgement,” Festus Okoye, INEC commissioner said in a reaction.

SaharaReporters on Tuesday reported that Umahi said he remained in charge of the state despite the ruling by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The court had sacked Umahi and his Deputy, Dr Eric Igwe, following their defection from the PDP to the 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.

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.”

Reacting, Umahi described the ruling as “jungle justice that was purchased”, noting that the ruling was not a good development for the Judiciary.

He added that the party has the National Judicial Council over the judge’s conduct.

Topics
Politics