BREAKING: Umahi’s Sacking: Names Of New Ebonyi Governor, Deputy Submitted To INEC
In the wake of the sacking of Governor Dave Umahi and his deputy by a Federal High Court on Tuesday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has forwarded two names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill the positions of governor and deputy governor of the state.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, announced the submission at a press conference on Tuesday.
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According to Ayu, the PDP submitted the names of Iduma Igariwe and Fred Udogwu as the new governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State.
THE WHISTLER had earlier reported that Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, sacked Umahi and his deputy over their defection from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ekwo delivered the judgment in a case brought against Umahi by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the governor’s defection from its party to the APC in December 2020.
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The judge ruled in favour of PDP’s request to declare that the votes secured by Umahi in the 2019 Ebonyi governorship election belonged to the PDP, hence his defection to the APC with the party’s mandate was unconstitutional.
But reacting on Tuesday, Umahi severely criticised Justice Ekwo over the judgment, describing him as a “hatchet man”.
He said, “The Constitution stipulates that the only way whereby a Governor can vacate his seat is either by death, resignation or impeachment by the House of Assembly.
“There is no other provision that empowers a hatchet man to turn the constitution upside down
“I have listened to the judgment of Ekwo and it is 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.
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Umahi further insisted that he is “still the Governor of Ebonyi state and he has no powers to remove me.”
