GOV UMAHI, DEPUTY OBTAIN COURT ORDER ENFORCING DISMISSAL OF SUIT AGAINST THEM

REPORTER: AMECHI ODO

An Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Abakaliki has issued an interim order enforcing that its judgment, which dismissed a suit filed against the defection of Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe to the All Progressives Congress, has precedence over any other contrary judgment on the matter.

Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Mr. Cletus Ofoke, explained that the Order was issued by Justice Hilary Njoku following a motion ex parte brought by the Counsel to the defendants.

He explained that Governor Umahi and his Deputy went back to obtain the order following the judgment by an Abuja Federal High Court, which did not observe the subsisting judgment and went ahead to give a judgement which sacked the defendants from office.

Mr. Ofoke noted that, though a stay of execution had been obtained and appeal filed, the High Court made the order to draw the attention of the parties involved in the matter to the judgment, which was delivered on 28th February, 2022.

In a related development, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr Francis Nwifuru says he and sixteen other Lawmakers had appealed the judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court, which sacked them from their seats.

He stated this in Abakaliki while briefing journalists on the pronouncements of the Abuja Federal High Court.