Wike, A Hatchet Job-man, Umahi  Tackles Rivers Governor Over Court Removal

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, who was removed from office by an Abuja High Court has taken a swipe at his Rivers State Counterpart, Nyesom Wike who he accused of making statements suggestive of role in his ordeal.

 Umahi, a sitting governor now nursing a presidential ambition in 2023 after jumping ship, from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he won election twice, is now of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He was sacked by an Abuja High Court which insisted that he, his deputy and all elected lawmakers who moved camps with him, ought to have surrendered their positions as governor, deputy governor and lawmakers the moment they left the political party on whose ticket they won their elections.

Governor Umahi had appealed the judgement following which he  got to an Ebonyi State High Court, a court of concurrent jurisdiction, to negate the Abuja verdict.

However, a statement issued by Umahi’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Francis Nwaze, said Umahi had come across ‘’a video by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike in which he was quoted as saying that he masterminded the Abuja High Court judgment on Governor David Umahi’s defection to All Progressives Congress, APC.

‘’Not much surprised at the comment though, we would have ignored it as one of his blubberings but it has become imperative we make a few annotations for clarity:

1. Wike from the statement has taken responsibility for the pronouncement of the Federal High Court, thus requiring that he explains to Nigerians how he now calls the shots in the Nation’s Judiciary without being a Judge.
2. While we will not get intoxicated and begin to comment on a case that is already pending in a Court of competent jurisdiction like Wike, we like to place it on record that Ebonyi State is not in the same geopolitical Zone with Rivers State and so nothing would have prompted Nyesom Wike to make such unguarded comment about Governor Umahi if he is not a cheeky hatchet job-man.
3. It is on record that Governor Umahi since the legal battle started has conducted himself properly by filing an appeal in a Court of Superior records and did not resort to horse-trading like his counterpart, Nyesom Wike who speaks as if he has the Nigeria Judiciary in his armpit, which is impossible.
4. We are however not unaware that the envy of Nyesom Wike is the earth-shattering accomplishments of the Governor Umahi led administration in Ebonyi State which include but are not limited to over seventeen twin flyovers, State of the art King David University of Medical Sciences, the best of its kind in Africa, the shopping mall, the best International Airport in Nigeria, payment of civil servants, massive empowerment of the youths, widows, clergy and so much more.
5. While not joining issues with the Governor, we like to remind Wike that hence he riggled himself out of the 2015 Appeal Court ruling dismissing him as Governor of Rivers State, Governor Umahi would come out of his current legal issues stronger and unscathed while still proceeding on his presidential ambition gallantly.
6. Not minding his looney voice, we want to emphasize that Governor Umahi and Ebonyians have absolute confidence in the Nigeria Judiciary to carry out an unbiased adjudication which would open a new vista of precedence in justice dispensation in Nigeria.
7. We urge Ebonyians and supporters of Governor David Nweze Umahi across the Country and beyond to remain peaceful and resolute lest the likes of Wike and other political desperados score a cheap political point by the reason of their conduct at a time like this.
8. We also enjoin Ebonyi citizens and the reading public to disregard the hapless surmise of a man reputed for orchestration of unhealthy and brutish governance under a Democracy.’’

Governor Umahi’s attack on Wike follows a similar tackle by the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki who on Monday accused the Rivers Governor of  arrogating ownership and powers of the opposition PDP to himself, warning him that the PDP was not his personal property.

Uduegbunam Chukwujama

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