The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday, reversed the March 8 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja which sacked Ebonyi Governor, David Umahi and the deputy governor, Kelechi Igwe for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In its judgment on Friday, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the nation’s Constitution did not provide any punishment for a Governor or Deputy Governor who defected from the party on which platform he/she got to office.
In the lead judgment, Justice Haruna Tsanami, the appellate court held that the only option opened to a political party, aggrieved by the defection of a Governor or Deputy Governor, is to explore the impeachment option provided in the Constitution.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja aligned with an earlier decision on the same issue given by the court’s Enugu division.