Respite for Umahi, Igwe as Appeal Court Restores Them to Office

From Victor Nwegede (with agency reports)

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, on Friday effectively restored Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe back to power less than a month after the verdict of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering him to vacate office.

Umahi and Igwe, who were sacked from office on March 8 for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in November 2020, were told that the mandate they were taking away, belonged to the party and could not therefore be transferable to the APC.

In a separate case from that of Abuja, Sonni Ogbuoji and his running mate, Justin Ogbodo Mbam, had approached an Ebonyi High Court seeking their sack from office on account of their action, praying that their seats be declared vacant and that they be sworn-in immediately as Governor and Deputy having emerged second in the said election.

But after the High Court, in a judgement on February 28, struck out the suit and awarded N500, 000 as damages against them, they headed to the appellate court, after not being satisfied with the ruling.

But agreeing with the lower court’s decision, the three justices of the superior court, in a unanimous judgement read by Justice Alfa Belgore, dismissed the suit for being inconsistent with the Constitution and extant laws of the country.