A former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has told his party – the All Progressives Congress, APC, to continue to respect all court judgments.
The lawmaker, however, said that where the matter has been taken to the court of appeal, it presupposes that the appealing party has obeyed the order of the lower court.
Okorocha said this in reaction to the Federal High Court ruling that sacked Governor Dave Umahi as the Governor of Ebonyi State on Tuesday.
OBSERVERSTIMES recall that his defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Justice Inyang Ekwo-led Court while ruling on a case filed before by the PDP, sacked Umahi and his deputy, KelechiIgwe.
The court also sacked all the state House of Assembly members, who left the PDP alongside the governor.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, Okorocha said that every pronouncement of the courts should be obeyed, according to Vanguard .
He said “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.”
Okorocha further explained that going to a superior to seek redress to an earlier hearing by a lower court does not mean that one has disobeyed the lower court.