Ebonyi Speaker, Other Lawmakers Appeal Sacking

The Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, on Thursday, said that the 17 members of the house who were sacked by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja have appealed the judgement and obtained stay of execution.

The speaker disclosed this while briefing newsmen alongside other members of the assembly in his Abakaliki lodge.

Nwifuru advised members of the lawmakers’ constituents to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring that the law will take its course.

“It is about two days ago we started hearing the rumour that a federal high court in Abuja declared our seats vacant on the ground that we defected from PDP to APC.

“I know the position of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But I am not in a position to know how the judiciary interprets the law. I am not against that.

“We have filed an appeal and a stay of execution. Since the matter is in the court of law there is no need to say anything about it. Our position is that the law will take its position. We are begging our constituents to remain law-abiding”, he appealed.

Recall that the court had also sacked Governor Dave Umahi and his deputy over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umahi, on Wednesday, announced that he and his deputy had appealed the judgement.