A high court sitting in Abakaliki on Monday has dismissed a suit by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress Party, APC, at the 2019 General elections, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, and awarded the sum of 500.000 naira against the plaintiff.
The plaintif had in suit, asked the court to remove Governor Umahi and his Deputy from office and declare him Governor as first runner of the 2019 Governorship elections in the State, citing Umahi’s defection from the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress Party. (APC)
Justice Henry Njoku, who presided over the rulling, said his judgment is in line with the supreme court ruling in favor of the Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar in 2007, citing there was no consequence against a Governor for defecting to another political party while in office.
The counsel for the defendant, Barrister Roy Umahi said the judgment is in line with the provision of the constitution relating to the office of the president and vice, and said it applies to the office of the Governor and his Deputy.
justice Ogbonnaya Okorie, counsel for the plaintif, appreciated the judgment and said his client’s motive was to explore the provisions of the law in order to clarify issues of interest.
and that it is the provision of the constitution that a Governor cannot be removed based on the issue of defection.
Reacting to the incidence, the State Commissioner for information and orientation, Uchenna Orji, has lauded the judgment and said it is d welcome development to the people of the State as the Governor has been vindicated.
He described the judgment as a people’s victory and noted the Governor’s defection was for the interest of the people, adding it would further end all distractions resulting from the Governor’s defection to the APC.