The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday said it would not take any action on Governor David Umahi’s replacement due to conflicting court judgments.
Umahi was sacked by court over his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in 2020.
PDP had expected the INEC to commence action on replacing the governor and his deputy with the names it submitted to the electoral body.
However, INEC has decided to halt action on the process according to a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.
The commission said 12 court processes have been received on the defection of Umahi; his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, and 16 members of the state House of Assembly.
INEC, therefore, said it would stay action on the matter because of the “conflicting court judgements”
According to INEC “It will be recalled that the Commission met on Thursday, 17th of March, 2022 on the matter, decided to defer its deliberation on the Ebonyi cases and stepped down the listed memorandum to enable its Legal Services and Clearance Committee to study the new processes served on it in the light of the previously served ones and advise the Commission comprehensively.
“Since then, the Commission has been served yet more Court Processes on the same matter, bringing the total to twelve. The Commission deliberated extensively on these cases and decided to further suspend action on the defection of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State and sixteen members of the State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the light of the conflicting judgements and orders served on it from Courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
“The Commission also considers it prudent to stay action on the conflicting judgements and orders being aware of the pendency of Appeals and Motions for Stay of Execution of some of the judgements before various divisions of the Court of Appeal.”