UMAHI: INEC states position on court order

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said it was yet to be served the certified True Copy of the Federal High Court that sacked Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Chief Kelechi Igwe.

Mr Festus Okoye, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Okoye said that the commission would meet and take decision when It received the certified true copy of the court Judgement.

“The Commission has not been served with a copy of the said judgement.

“The Commission will meet and take a decision when it is served with a Certified True Copy of the judgement,” Okoye said.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, on Tuesday, ordered Gov. Umahi to vacate office after his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Ekwo, in the judgment, also ordered Dr Eric Igwe to stop parading himself as the deputy governor of the state.

Justice Ekwo declared that having defected from the PDP, on whose platform they came into power, the duo were deemed to have resigned from the office and, hence, no longer entitled to be called governor and deputy governor.

The judge said it was constitutionally wrong for a candidate elected into an office on a platform of a political party to defect to another political while still in office.

He said the votes gotten by Umahi and Igwe on March 9, 2019, were PDP votes and not for the APC.

In reaction to the Court judgement, the PDP said it had submitted to INEC the names of Iduma Igariwey, a serving member of the House of Representatives, as nominee to replace the Umahi, and Fred Udogwu as Deputy Governor to replace Igwe.

The PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, at a press conference in Abuja, said that the decision was made after due consultation with party stakeholders at the national and Ebonyi State chapter, in compliance to the Tuesday’s judgment of the Federal High Court.

Meanwhile, Umahi, in his reaction, said that he remains the governor of the state and will not vacate office for anyone.