By Bayo Etema
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered immediate sack of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, his deputy, Eric Igwe and 15 members of the state House of Assembly for defecting from their former party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Inyang Ekwo who gave the judgement on Tuesday held that their defection was unconstitutional.
The judge also ordered that all salaries and entitlements received by the affected public officers during period of defection be forfeited to Ebonyi state government coffers.
PDP in an originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/920/2021, is principally asking the court to make a declaration that by defecting from the party on which they were sponsored and elected as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State to the APC, a political party that did not win the election, they have resigned or are deemed to have resigned from office.
The crux of the PDP’s case is that the governor and his deputy defected and relinquished their membership of the PDP on which platform they contested and won the governorship election, and by so doing are deemed to have lost the majority votes scored at the election.
They claimed that the two defendants should be ordered by the court to vacate their respective offices as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.
