Umahi Fires Back At Wike Over Court Sacking

• A judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo said that the votes scored by Umahi to emerge governor in 2019 belonged to the PDP and not him as a candidate

• Wike had boasted in a video that he and the PDP were the architects behind Umahi’s sacking

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi, has fired back at his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, over claims that he and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were responsible for the court case that led to his (Umahi) ouster.

Umahi said this shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday March 23, 2022.

Read also: I’m Not Worried, Constitution Says I Can’t Be Sued – Umahi

Umahi was sacked by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday March 8, 2022, over his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo said that the votes scored by Umahi to emerge governor in 2019 belonged to the PDP and not him as a candidate.

Reacting to the development, Wike had boasted in a video that he and the PDP were the architects behind Umahi’s sacking, arguing that it’s wrong for his colleague to move to another party while still holding on to PDP’s mandate.

During his press briefing after meeting Buhari, Umahi, who expressed his disagreement with the court judgement, argued that the Constitution has guaranteed that a sitting governor can’t be sued, thereby making his sacking unconstitutional.

He also cited the Supreme Court ruling that says “votes cast in an election belong to the candidate” saying “that’s why you have qualifications of a candidate and not qualifications of a political party.”

The Ebonyi Governor then criticised Wike for making boastful remarks over his travails describing him as a hatchet man.

He also accused his Rivers colleague of using the state funds to show off while challenging him to a public debate.

“In the first place, there’s no constitutional position that says that a governor can be sued, so I’m not suable but a court judgement is a court judgement, I’m not to interpret it. But I can speak to the constitution we swore to uphold, and the constitution says that once you’re elected, you enjoy immunity.

“So, the hatchet man that boasted is likened to Judas Iscariot. What qualifies you, just because you’re packing money that is public fund, not intellectual material but just packing money from public fund and you’re boasting about it.”

“Otherwise, whom were you, I became a billionaire at the age of 25, I’ve worked all my life and I have asked him to come for public debate. I don’t commission a 3.4km road, I commissioned 35km road, I commissioned twin flyovers running to 1km. I commissioned mega projects with little resources, so if he says he has done well, and he’s mister this or that, let him come for public debate.”

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