Defection: Umahi, deputy appeal sack verdict, say lower court erred

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi on Wednesday approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja challenging the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja of that sacked him and his deputy, Dr. Eric Kelechi from office.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had on Tuesday sacked Umahi, Kelechi and some lawmakers for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In the appeal lodged at the appellate court, Umahi in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/920/2021 said that the lower court erred in its judgement.

Umahi and Kelechi disagreed with the verdict on eight grounds.

The appellants argued that the lower court misdirected itself when it said that “I have not seen any authority which propounds that where a Governor or deputy Governor defects his political party on which platform he was elected into office, he cannot be sued by that political party to reclaim its mandate…Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution did not envisage such a situation”.

READ ALSO: Court sacks Governor Umahi, deputy over defection

They argued that there is no constitutional provisions prohibiting President or vice and invariably the Governor and or deputy Governor from defecting to another political party.

Details later….

The Star