Hon. Idu Igariewey, member, representing Afikpo North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court that sacked Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe was still standing.
There has been confusion in Ebonyi State over the Friday appeal court judgment between Umahi and Senator Sonni Ogbuoji which upheld the defection of Umahi and his deputy to APC thus his reaction.
Igariwey was nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to replace Umahi following the sacking of the Governor by the Court.
The lawmaker said the party was taking all necessary legal measures to ensure institutional compliance with the subsisting clear orders of a Court of competent jurisdiction.
He said the Enugu Appeal Court judgment was purely different from the case his party, PDP instituted against Umahi and that the pending Appeal against the Abuja High Court judgment on Umahi for resigning from the PDP for the APC was still subsisting.
The rep member who is currently the Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, in his words, said, “This is to inform members of the Peoples Democratic Party and indeed the general public that there is absolutely nothing to worry about the Court of Appeal Enugu Division, the decision on Umahi’s defection.
“The judgment merely reaffirmed the decision of the lower court, which had nothing to do with the rights of the PDP. The matter in both the lower court and at the Court of Appeal was merely determined by the arguments of APC who came a distant second in the election.
“So the issue of the right of the PDP over its votes as determined by the Abuja Federal High Court, and the effect on INEC, never came up for consideration.
“In other words, the Court of Appeal matter in Enugu, merely reaffirmed what the lower Court Abakaliki decided! It did not determine anything new. The decision of the lower Court Enugu did not affect the rights of PDP who were not joined as a party and has also not placed any obligation on INEC who were also not joined as parties.
“By the decision, APC is not supposed to inherit the votes of the PDP. The decision indirectly reaffirms the position of the PDP, that the votes cast in an election belong to the party that sponsored the election.
“The Appeal pending at the court of Appeal Abuja Division is still subsisting. The judgment of the Federal High Court sacking Umahi is still subsisting. The court of Appeal Enugu Division & the suit that gave rise to it is an in-house arrangement between Senator Ogbuoji & chief Umahi, who are both members of APC. It is part of a sinister plot to rubbish the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja sacking former Governor Umahi from office.
“PDP is taking all necessary legal measures to ensure institutional compliance with the subsisting clear orders of a Court of competent jurisdiction. We reassure Ebonyians and the general public of our commitment in this regard, as our team of lawyers continues to work tirelessly on this matter.”