On Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja fired Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, for abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favor of the governing All Progressive Congress (APC) (APC).
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, ordered Umahi and his deputy to quit their positions immediately and asked INEC to replace them with a PDP candidate.
He said that the 393, 042 votes Umahi received in the Ebonyi gubernatorial election on March 9, 2019 belonged to the PDP and could not be transferred to the APC.
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According to Ekwo, the gubernatorial and deputy governorship offices in Ebonyi state “belong to the Plaintiff and no other” given the outcome of the governorship election.
He emphasized that there is no constitutional provision that allows voters to switch parties on the ballot.
While ordering Umahi and Kelechi Igwe to resign immediately, Justice Ekwo stated that the PDP is obligated to retain the votes and mandate bestowed upon it by Ebonyi voters.
The judge ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately receive names of candidates to replace Umahi and his Deputy from the PDP, or, in the alternative, to hold a fresh gubernatorial election in Ebonyi state in accordance with section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
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The court also barred Umahi and Igwe from claiming to be the governor or deputy governor of Ebonyi state in the future.
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