Justice Inyang Ekwo of the federal High Court sitting in Abuja has said there was enough evidence that the second defendant (the APC) contested the Ebonyi State governorship election held in March 2019, with its own candidates.
He stated, “It can be noted that the constitution does not deal with the issue of defection lightly. The third and fourth defendants cannot transfer the votes and victory of the plaintiff on March 9, 2019, to the APC.
“Offices of the governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State belong to the PDP. The option for Umahi and Igwe is to vacate office and wait for next election to contest election under the platform of its new party”, the court declared.
Consequently, the court declared that under the democratic system operated in Nigeria, the plaintiff won the majority of votes during the election and was entitled to enjoy same till end of tenure of office for which the election was made.
The court, therefore, restrained Umahi and Igwe from further parading themselves as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State.
In another judgment, the judge sacked 15 members of the state House of Assembly who defected from the PDP to the APC on the same grounds the governor was removed.
