Sacked Governor Umahi Attacks Justice Ekwo; Says Judge Was On A Mission; Reports Him To NJC

By Adesina Soyooye

An angry, worried and obviously embarrassed  Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has descended on the Judge who sacked him and his Deputy from office.

The Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, March 8, sacked Umahi and Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe from office for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Justice Ekwo said that having jettisoned the PDP, both have, also, jettisoned the votes cast for them under the PDP. He ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately receive PDP’s nominations to replace both men, or organise a fresh Governorship election for the State. He, also, ordered Umahi and Igwe to desist from parading themselves as Governor and Deputy Governor.

But a scandalised Umahi has dismissed the judgment  as rubbish, null and void. He said he would never obey it, that he remains the Governor,  and that what the  Judge delivered was a jungle judgment.

Then he descended on Justice Ekwo character. He said Ekwo’s judgment was purchased. He called the Judge a hatchet man. He said he had no powers to remove him, a sitting Governor from office because, as a sitting Governor, he has immunity.

He said he has forwarded a petition against Ekwo to the National Judicial Council, NJC, asking it to discipline the Judge. He, then,  tried to put the Judge on a collusion course with both the APC and the Federal Government.

Umahi: “We have heard the rumours before now that he was determined to give judgment against all known laws and the Constitution to embarrass the APC and the Federal Government.”

Umahi noted that previous judgments had been given in similar cases concerning a couple of Governors, using the most recent one -Zamfara State – as an example where the Court upheld the Governor.

Zamfara Governor, Bello Matallewa had, like Umahi, defected from the PDP to the APC.

Umahi, also, dismissed the sack of 17 members of the House of Assembly, including the Speaker, by Justice Ekwo, asking them to ignore the Judge and his judgment.

Umahi: “The Constitution stipulates that the only way whereby a Governor can vacate his seat is either by death, resignation or impeachment by the House of Assembly.

“There is no other provision that empowers a hatchet man to turn the Constitution upside down.

“I have listened to the judgement of Ekwo and it is very obvious that he was on a mission. He was making all efforts to upturn the rulings of the Appeal and Supreme courts on issues like this.

“We have heard the rumors before now that he was determined to give judgement against all known laws and the constitution to embarrass the APC and the Federal government.

“For me I do not feel worried but I feel so sorry for the Judiciary. The Executive may have problem, the Legislature may have problem, but the moment justice could be purchased, then we are in trouble in this country. And the ruling this afternoon is a clear evidence that this country is in trouble.

“And let me tell you that this same judge has over 10 cases against Ebonyi State Government with him and you can imagine what he is going to rule. We have petitioned him to NJC and we will follow it up to ensure that this man is brought to justice.

“I want you to disregard the judgement, it is null and void. There is a subsisting judgement in Ebonyi and Zamfara states. So we have chosen the one to obey, we will not obey his ruling, we will obey the ruling of a competent court of coordinate jurisdiction that says you cannot sue a Governor.

“The sections of the Constitution are very clear, no civil or criminal proceedings could be brought against a sitting Governor. This is not a Pre-election matter, this is not a Tribunal matter. So he has murdered justice in this country and he and his generation will be remembered for this jungle justice which has no leg to stand.

“I am still the Governor of Ebonyi state and he has no powers to remove me.”

Umahi said he would immediately appeal the judgment and boasted that the Court of Appeal will throw out Justice Ekwo’s judgment.