Umahi’s sack order: You can’t get certificate of return, Ebonyi APC tells PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot get the certificate of return for the governor from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The state Chairman of APC, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said this on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the party’s position on the political impasse in the state.

Our correspondent recalls that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on March 8 ordered David Umahi to vacate office as governor for defecting from PDP to APC.

The court, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, ruled that PDP should submit the names of its governorship and deputy governorship candidates to INEC or that the body should conduct another governorship election in the state.

But Okoro-Emegha described the PDP’s agitation for the certificate as “funny”, saying the names they submitted never participated in the election.

“Section 285 (13) of the Constitution and the amended Electoral Laws of 2010 and 2022, including all known cases of the Appeal and Supreme Courts’ decision are apt on this issue.

“They made it clear that one cannot benefit, sue or be sued for an election he or she did not participate in as candidate.

“It is childish for the PDP to be requesting for the certificate of return from INEC without regard to the Abakaliki Court order on the issue,” Okoro-Emegha said.

He urged the public not to be deceived, saying that APC had appealed against Ekwo’s judgment and notice of the appeal and stay of execution served on PDP.

“Ebonyi government is stable and all projects and programmes are ongoing and will never stop.

“Ebonyi people are requested to be calm and vigilant and are assured that justice is already at hand,” the party chieftain said.

Reacting to APC’s position, the PDP state chairman told our correspondent that PDP was right to demand the gubernatorial certificate of return from INEC.

“A court of competent jurisdiction ordered that the certificate of return be given to us and this was not an interlocutory injunction,” he said.