On the Court of Appeal nulled an earlier ruling that sacked Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state and his Deputy, Dr Eric Igwe after they jumped ship to the APC.
The three-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsanami ruled that there was no constitutional provision for the removal of a serving governor or deputy governor that dumped the political party that sponsored them to power.
In March, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ruled that the 393, 343 votes governor Umahi secured during the March 9, 2019 governorship contest in Ebonyi state, belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which sponsored his election.
According to NAN, the court held that the only option available to a political party aggrieved by the defection of a governor or deputy it sponsored to power, was for such party to explore the option of impeachment as provided in the Constitution.
Consequently, the appellate court, voided the high court judgement that removed Umahi and his deputy from office.
The appellate court further ordered the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to submit names of their replacement to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
NAN
