Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, quashed an application by the troubled Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, asking the court to stop the carrying out the order of the court that removed them from office on account of their unlawful defection.
The judge struck out the application having confirmed that a valid appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, challenging the verdict that sacked them for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh, SAN, counsel to the governor and the deputy as well as Chief James Ogwu Onoja, SAN, for PDP, after hitted arguments, the court was briefed about the existing substantive appeal already pending at the Court of Appeal.
Ume, thereafter, applied for withdrawal of the application to enable his clients focus and concentrate on the substantive appeal.
The request was not opposed by the PDP counsel prompting Justice Ekwo in a brief ruling struck out the suit.
Justice Ekwo ordered Governor Umahi and his deputy to shift their legal battle against the judgment that sacked them to the appellate court.
A similar decision was invoked in another application for judgment stay by the sacked 16 lawmakers of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly Umahi and his deputy had two weeks ago asked the Federal High Court for an order staying the execution of its judgment that ordered their removal from office as governor and deputy governor of the state, respectively.
In a motion on notice filed by their counsel, the governor and his deputy prayed the court for an order staying the execution of the orders made in the judgment delivered on March 8, 2022, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately receive from PDP the names of its candidates to replace them.
The court was also prayed to stay the execution of its order directing INEC to hold a governorship election in accordance with Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.
The motion on notice dated March 9, 2022, equally sought an order staying the execution of the order of the court directing INEC to immediately declare the persons nominated by the PDP as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State respectively.
