The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to immediately stop holding themselves out as members of the assembly.

Giving judgement on the ruling on Tuesday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the votes that brought the lawmakers to office belonged to the PDP and they ytherefore cannot cannot hold on to the votes from a party while being in another party.

Justice Ekwo also held that the votes cast for PDP in the 2019 election are not transferrable to the APC.

He thereafter restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or according any recognition to them as elected members of the House of Assembly.

Justice Ekwo further ordered that all monies collected from the period of their defection to the judgment date must be recovered from them.

Meanwhile, the judge had earlier sacked the State Governor, Dave Umahi and his deputy, Eric Igwe, for defecting from the PDP to the ruling APC.