The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a certificate of return to Hon. Iduma Igariwe and Fred Udogwu as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.
PDP said the call was in furtherance of the order of the Federal High Court issued in Abuja on Monday, refusing to grant stay of execution to the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Nweze Umahi, and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe over their removal from office by the court.
In a series of tweets on its verified Twitter handle, PDP urged the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State to swear in Igariwe and Udogwu as the state’s new governor and deputy governor.
PDP wrote: “@inecnigeria, pursuant to the provision of Section 287(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which provides that “the decisions of the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, a High Court and of all other courts established by this Constitution shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by other courts of law with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, a High Court and those other courts, respectively” is bound to issue Certificates of Return immediately to Hon. Iduma Igariwe and Fred Udogwu as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, respectively.
“In this regard, the @OfficialPDPNig also demands that the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, upon the issuance of Certificates of Return by @inecnigeria proceed to swear in Hon. Iduma Igariwe and Fred Udogwu as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, respectively.
“This is absolutely necessary to prevent the existence of vacuum in the government and governance of Ebonyi State as Messers Umahi and Igwe can no longer exercise the functions of the office of Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State pursuant to the Order of the Federal High Court which removed them from office on March 8, 2022 and the subsequent Order of the Federal High Court today, which refused their application for Stay of Execution.”
