17 Ebonyi lawmakers sacked alongside Umahi, deputy, to refund money

The Tuesday landmark judgment of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, made a near clean sweep of the Ebonyi State governor’s office and legislature.

Justice Ekwosacked Governor David Umahi, his deputy, Eric Igwe, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Francis Nwifuru, over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2020.

The court held that the defection of the officers involved was unconstitutional.

READ: JUST IN: Court sacks Ebonyi State Governor Umahi, Deputy

Shortly after the governor and his deputy crossed over to the APC, the speaker and about 17 lawmakers joined them.

In his ruling, Ekwo ordered all the lawmakers who defected to vacate their seats. The judge held that all salaries and allowances collected by the officers from the period of defection to the present should be forfeited to the state government coffers.