Appeal Court Reinstates Gov Umahi, Deputy, Says They Can Only Be Impeached

By Ayodele Oni

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that David Umahi remains as Governor of Ebonyi state, and Eric Igwe as deputy.

The Court on Friday reversed the March 8 judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court, sacking Umahi as Governor and his deputy for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Haruna Tsanami, held in a judgment that the 1999 Constitution as amended, did not provide any punishment for a governor or deputy governor who defected from the party on which platform they got to office.

The appellate court, in its judgment, held that the only option opened to a political party, aggrieved by the defection of a governor or deputy governor, is to explore the impeachment option provided in the Constitution.

The appellate court aligned with an earlier decision on the same issue given by the Enugu division of the court.

Justice Ekwo of the Abuja Federal High court Abuja had on March 8, 2022, ordered the Ebonyi state Governor Dave Umahi and his deputy, Eric Igwe, to vacate their seats as the governor and deputy on grounds that the PDP won the election on March 2019 and not its candidate.

Citing section 221 of the constitution, Justice Inyang Ekwo  declared their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) as illegal and unconstitutional.