Governor Umahi’s Case: INEC delays court action
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it has yet to take any action on the court judgment that ordered Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi’s sack and his deputy, Eric Igwe.
A statement from Mr. Festus Okoye confirms INEC does not want to rush to decide amid the multiple litigations.
Okoye, who serves as INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, said that the decision would affect the order sacking 16 members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
“Recalled that the commission met on Thursday, March 17, 2022, on the matter, deferred its deliberation on the Ebonyi cases, and stepped down the listed Memorandum to enable its Legal Services and Clearance Committee to study the new processes served on it in the light of the previously served ones and advise the commission comprehensively.”
PRESS RELEASE
Update on Osun State Governorship Election and Cases on Defections in Ebonyi State. pic.twitter.com/1Cb2vm7FAF— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) March 24, 2022
“Since then, they have served the commission yet more court processes on the same matter, bringing the total to 12,” he affirmed.
Okoye stated the final decision of INEC on the imminent cases in the state. “The commission deliberated extensively on these cases and decided to further suspend action on the defection of the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Ebonyi State and 16 members of the State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of conflicting judgments and orders served on it from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.”
GOV. UMAHI’S SACK, PDP’S STANCE
Also, recall based on the cases mentioned above, a Federal High Court in Abuja had sacked Umahi and Igwe as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State, respectively, on the request of the PDP after both men defected to the APC in November 2020.
While relying on Section 221 of the Constitution, the court ordered the PDP to send names of replacements to INEC immediately and ordered the governor and his deputy to vacate their offices.
But in a motion on notice dated March 9, Umahi and Igwe prayed the court for an order staying the execution of its orders made the previous day.
They had also asked the court to stay the execution of its order directing INEC to hold a governorship election under Section 177 (C) of the 1999 Constitution.
Both men later withdrew the suit and approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to reverse the March 8 decision of the court, which removed them from office.
INEC/COV/E/Suzan O.
