The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria, on Tuesday, gave a judgement that could upset political behaviour in the West Africa country as it ordered removal of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

The judgement, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo followed a suit the PDP lodged before the court and held that the total number of 393, 042 votes governor Umahi secured during the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi state, belonged to the PDP and same could not be legally transferred to the APC.

The court verdict is new a precedence in Nigeria political landscape. Party defection is common among politicians. Sitting governors particularly are fond of switching party allegiance.

In May 2021, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) after four years of speculations, foot dragging and denials.

In June of the same year the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, who was elected on the platform of the PDP after the Supreme Court nullified the victory of the APC in the 2019 elections in Zamfara State also joined Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

It is expected that Mr. Umahi and the All Progressive Congress (APC) will challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. If the apex court upheld the ruling, the verdict would become a case law that would influence political behaviour of gladiators in Nigeria.

According to the court, having defected to the APC, both Umahi and his deputy, not only jettisoned the PDP, but also the votes that belonged to it.

It held that going by the outcome of the governorship election, the office of the governor and deputy governor in Ebonyi state, “belong to the Plaintiff and no other political party”

“There is no constitutional provision that made the ballot transferrable from one party to the other”.

It held that the PDP is bound to retain the votes and mandate that was given to it by electorates in Ebonyi state, as both governor Umahi and his Deputy could not validly transfer same to APC.

The court, therefore, ordered both Umahi and Igwe to immediately vacate their positions.

It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately receive from the PDP, names of persons to replace Umahi and his Deputy, or in the alternative, conduct a fresh gubernatorial election in Ebonyi state in line with section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The court further restrained both Umahi and Igwe from further parading themselves as governor or deputy governor of Ebonyi state.