PDP submits names to replace sacked Governor Umahi, Deputy to INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said it had forwarded names to replace sacked Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, disclosed this on Tuesday after Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday declared as illegal, the defection of Umahi and Igwe, from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.

The court made the order in a judgment on a suit filed by the PDP seeking the removal of Umahi and Igwe from office.

The court had in its judgment held that “the immunity clause” in Section 308 of the constitution is not absolute. Section 308 is a veritable constitutional shield”, and not for political reasons.

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Justice Ekwo, noting that there was enough evidence that the second defendant (the APC) contested the Ebonyi State governorship election held in March 2019, with its own candidates said, “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 the next election to contest election under the platform of its new party”.

Meanwhile, at a press conference in Abakaliki, in response to the judgment, Umahi berated the judge and insisted that he remained the state governor.

He said, “I feel sorry for the Nigerian judiciary. I am still the governor of Ebonyi State and there is no tension at all. In the first place, there is no constitutional provision for any hatchet man to remove a governor. There are three ways whereby a governor can vacate his office: it’s either by death, resignation and impeachment.

“There is no other constitutional provision that empowers a hatchet man to turn the constitution upside down.

“I have listened to the judgement of Inyang Ekwo and it’s very obvious that he was on a mission. He was making all efforts to upturn the rulings of the appeal and supreme courts, on issues like this.

“We heard the rumours before now that he was determined to give judgment against all known laws and the constitution, first to embarrass the  APC, and to equally embarrass the Federal Government.

 “We have petitioned  the NJC (National Judicial Commission) and we will follow it up to the end to ensure that this man (Ekwo) is brought to justice. I want you to disregard the judgment, because it’s null and void.”