Court Order Shouldn’t Be Ignored No Matter What – Okorocha
Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo State, has underlined the importance of following court judgments, even if they are unfavorable.
The former Governor made the statement in response to an Abuja high court judgment removing Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi and his Deputy, Chief Kelechi Igwe, from power.
On Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, dismissed Umahi and Igwe for abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) (APC).
Justice Ekwo compelled Umahi and his deputy to quit their offices immediately, requesting that INEC substitute them with PDP nominees.
He said that the 393, 042 votes Umahi received in the Ebonyi gubernatorial race on March 9, 2019 belonged to the PDP and could not be switched to the APC.
Senator Okorocha stated his party, the APC, is required to respect the court ruling, but that filing an appeal in a court of higher jurisdiction (as Umahi and his Deputy have done) is also equivalent to honoring the lower court’s order.
He thanked the APC for being a party that respects the rule of law.
Okorocha was quoted by Vanguard to have said in a statement on Wednesday that “unless such [pronouncements are] subjected to a superior court for appeal. In other words, where there is an appeal to a superior court on any matter, the lower court ceases to have authority over the matter.
“Nobody in this country should say he will not obey any court order. Section 287 of our constitution makes it clear that every institution and organ of government should be obeyed but thank God for the ruling party, it has respect for the rule of law.
“It is assumed that the court order no matter what form and shape it takes must be obeyed, but secondly you have an option to go to the Court of Appeal to allow the superior court suspend the judgment of the lower court.”
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