David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi, and his deputy were fired by the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 8 after they defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned that decision .
A three-member panel of the appellate court ruled on Friday that a governor or deputy governor who switched parties after being elected was not subject to any penalties under the country’s Constitution.
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The appellate court determined that a political party outraged by the defection of a Governor or Deputy Governor had no choice but to investigate the constitutional provision for impeachment, according to Justice Haruna Tsanami, who wrote the lead ruling.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja agreed with a previous ruling rendered by the court’s Enugu division on the identical matter.