Umahi speaks on impact of court judgment sacking him on his presidential ambition

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has said he was not worried by the recent court judgment sacking his administration.

The Federal High Court in Abuja two weeks ago sacked Mr Umahi, the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, along with 16 lawmakers in the state over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The judge, Inyang Ekwo, ruled that by defecting from the party on which they were sponsored and elected, they had resigned or deemed to have resigned from office.

The court last Monday struck out the governor’s motion seeking a stay of execution of the judgment.

But Governor Umahi said at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday that he was not worried by the judgment.

“Do I look worried? Am I still not David? You see, God has plans for everything. Nobody sacked my administration,” Mr Umahi insisted.

The governor, while referencing a case in Bayelsa State where a governor-elect was sacked by the Supreme Court, argued that the votes cast in an election belong to the candidates, not the political party.

“And even a day to his swearing-in, the Supreme Court ruled disqualifying the candidate of APC that won the election because of his deputy. And so if votes belonged to the party, it would have been that the Supreme Court in their wisdom would have just asked for the man that won the election, for the party to bring a substitute to do that,” he said.

The Supreme Court, in February 2020, sacked David Lyon of the APC as governor-elect of Bayelsa State, barely 24 hours to his inauguration, on the grounds that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“In the first place, there is no constitutional provision that says that a governor can be sued. So, I’m not sueable, you know. But a court judgment is a court judgment.

“And the Constitution says that once you’re elected, you enjoy immunity, and the Supreme Court says votes cast in an election belong to the candidate. And that’s why you have qualifications of a candidate and not qualifications of a political party,” Mr Umahi insisted.

The governor said God allowed the court ruling to happen so as to provide him with the opportunity to make further consultations on his 2023 presidential ambition.

Mr Umahi denied that he was considering dropping his presidential ambition.

“There is no such thing. You can see us in the various media houses, you know, social media. And you can see my supporters everywhere, you can see my consultation, I even consult those who are also aspiring, and that shows you how committed I am to this course,” he said.

Umahi slammed Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike over the latter’s remarks on the court judgment sacking the Ebonyi governor.

“You heard him on Channels TV boasting that he is behind the court judgment (that sacked me). A mere man that depends on the breath of God, I pity illiteracy.

“It’s a shame (that he is) boasting to remove another government. What qualifies you? Just because you’re packing money, that is a public fund, you know, not your own,” he said, apparently referring to Mr Wike.