INEC stays action on judgment sacking Umahi, Dep., cites different court orders as reason

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has suspended further actions on a recent court judgement which sacked Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressives Congress (APC), due to several conflicting court orders recieved by the Commission.

In a statement on Thursday signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, INEC said the electoral body has received 12 different court processes concerning the defection of Umahi. Igwe, and 16 members of the state House of Assembly.

The electoral umpire, therefore, said it would suspend further action on the matter because of the “conflicting court judgments”

“It will be recalled that the Commission met on Thursday,17 March, 2022, on the matter, decided to defer its deliberation on the Ebonyi cases and stepped down the listed Memorandum to enable its Legal Services and Clearance Committee to study the new processes served on it in the light of the previously served ones and advise the Commission comprehensively,” INEC said in the statement.

Read also: INEC guidelines to be ready 10 months before 2023 elections —Mahmood Yakubu

“Since then, the Commission has been served yet more Court Processes on the same matter, bringing the total to twelve. The Commission deliberated extensively on these cases and decided to further suspend action on the defection of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State and sixteen members of the State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the light of the conflicting judgements and orders served on it from Courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“The Commission also considers it prudent to stay action on the conflicting judgments and orders being aware of the pendency of Appeals and Motions for Stay of Execution of some of the judgments before various divisions of the Court of Appeal,” it said.

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