Barely two days after a Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment sacking Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, his deputy, Kelechi Igwe and 16 state lawmakers over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a High Court of Ebonyi State has asked them not to vacate their offices.
In an order on Thursday, the court said that its judgment of February 28, 2022 on defection of the governor, his deputy and the lawmakers to APC remains valid as a judgement in rem, which is binding on all parties, persons and authorities.
The trial judge, Justice H. A. Njoku, while making an order asking parties to obey same relied on the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of IGWEMMA & Anor Vs OBIDIGWE & ORS to say that the judgement is binding on the parties in the litigation and others having anything to do with the status of the office of the governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, and 14 other lawmakers sacked by the Abuja court for defecting to the APC from the PDP, on Thursday, said they were dissatisfied with the judgment.
Justice Ekwo, had on Tuesday, declared vacant the seats of Nwifuru and the 14 other lawmakers.
The judge ordered INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats in the respective constituencies within 90 days.
But Nwifuru, who briefed journalists alongside the other lawmakers in Abakaliki, disclosed that they had filed an appeal and stay of execution in respect to the judgment He, however, said they would obey the judgment.
