We'll Take Decision On Court Ruling Against Umahi Next Week - INEC

Gov Dave Umahi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it would take a decision on the court ruling that sacked Dave Umahi as Governor of Ebonyi state next week.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in a statement released on Thursday March 17, said the commission met on Thursday and deliberated on a wide range of issues, including the rising tide of litigations that do not directly involve the Commission, but in which the principal parties joined it.

Okoye also said the Commission was briefed by its Litigation and Prosecution Department, including an update on litigations, showing that in the last three months, the Commission has been joined in 71 new cases in various Courts across the country.

He said;

“The Commission today listed this matter for deliberation. It involves Court cases 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.

“The Commission has been served with nine separate Orders and Motions from various Courts on this matter. Just as the Commission was about to commence deliberation on them, its attention was drawn to additional Court processes served today in respect of the matter.

“Consequently, the Commission 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 in the light of the previously served ones and advise the Commission comprehensively. The Commission will meet again next week to deliberate on the matter and thereafter make its decision.”