JUST IN: Court Sacks Ebonyi Speaker, Lawmakers Over Defection To APC

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday sacked the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Nwifuru.

Justice Inyang Ekwo while delivering his judgement on Tuesday directed the Speaker and other lawmakers who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2020 following the defection of the state Governor, David Umahi to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to vacate his seat.

Ekwo also directed that all lawmakers who were elected on the platform of the PDP and defected to APC should vacate their seats.

The Judge held that all salaries and allowances paid to the lawmakers from the period of their defection to the present should be forfeited to the government coffers.

This is coming after the court sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe for defecting to the APC.

The Judge had ruled that the total number of 393, 042 votes Umahi secured during the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi state, belonged to the PDP and cannot be transferred to the APC.

He charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately replace them with a candidate from PDP.

Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered Umahi and his Deputy to immediately vacate their office.