Umahi's Sack: Anxiety as Court Fixes Date For Governor Ayade's Judgement
- The judgement by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has thrown many into a state of apprehension over the fate of the Cross River state governor Ben Ayade
- Ayade's fate would be determined on Friday, March 25, at a court's judgment over a suit by PDP seeking his sack from office as governor of the state
- The suit is also seeking that Ayade's deputy Ivara Esu from office over their defection from PDP to the ruling APC
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Anxiety seems to be building up in Cross River state following the expected judgement by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
This anxiety Legit.ng gathered is because the court has fixed Friday, March 25, for final judgement in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Cross River state governor, Ben Ayade.
The opposition party in its suit had asked the court to order the removal of Ayade and his deputy from office over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Twitter
In the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021, the PDP through its counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, sought an order seeking the governor and deputy governors' removal from office.
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Vanguard reports that the suit filed before Justice Taiwo of court 7, followed a ruling by the court that ordered two members of the Cross River state House of Assembly to vacate their seats from defecting to APC.
The judge in his ruling dismissed an argument by the defence that the plaintiff had no legal rights to institute the case before it.
Justice Taiwo also struck out other preliminary objections that were raised by the sack lawmakers over the suit against them.
Noting that is disheartening that politicians in the country treat citizens as if they do not matter once they get into office, Justice Taiwo said that a day must surely come when elected officials must either resign from their office.
His words:
"...Or ask the people who voted for them before defecting to other political parties, instead of defecting to another party without recourse to the law and the citizens."
According to him, we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound.
Court sacks Ebonyi governor, deputy over defection from PDP to APC
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja sacked Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, over defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Tuesday, March 8, held that their defection was unconstitutional because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the election on March 2019 and not its candidate.
Having defected to the APC, Governor Umahi and his deputy cannot transfer the mandate of the PDP to the APC, the court held.
Anxiety as INEC reveals when it will act on court order sacking David Umahi as Ebonyi governor
In another development, INEC said it has not concluded deliberations on the court judgement that sacked David Umahi of Ebonyi state, his deputy and 16 lawmakers.
The electoral body said it had not reached a conclusion on the subject as well as other legal matters filed recently.
Festus Okoye, INEC's spokesman, said the commission will deliberate on the matter next week after which the commission would make its decision public.
Source: Legit.ng
