Umahi: I’m not worried about court decision

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said that he is not worried over a recent court decision that sacked his administration.

The governor said this Wednesday while fielding questions from State House reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

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A Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Monday, struck out the motion filed by Umahi, seeking a stay of execution of the March 8 judgment.

Justice Inyang Ekwo struck out the motion after Chukwuma Ma-Chukwu Ume, SAN, counsel for Umahi and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, prayed the court for the withdrawal of the motion, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, did not oppose the application.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on March 8, in a judgment, ordered Umahi; his deputy, Igwe, and 16 lawmakers to vacate their office and seats, following their defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Reacting to the development, Umahi said “there is no constitutional provision that says that a governor can be sued in this first place.”

Asked whether he was worried over the court decision, he said: “Do I look worried? Am I still not David? You see, God has plans for everything.
“Nobody sacked my administration and I think that God allowed one court to give judgment that I go nowhere, allowed another court to say because we defected, vote belongs to the party.

“Because the highest court has said that votes belong to the candidates. And that’s why even though APC won the election in Bayelsa state, but the deputy governor’s credentials were defective.

“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.

“So, I’m not worried. Because in the first place, there is no constitutional provision that says that a governor can be sued.

“So I’m not to sueable, you know, but a court judgment is a court judgment. I’m not to interpret it, but the Constitution we swore to uphold, I can speak to the Constitution.

“And the Constitution says that when once you’re elected, you enjoy immunity, and 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. So, I am not worried.”

The governor said God allowed the development to manifest and provide him with an opportunity to further consult on his presidential ambition.

“God allowed it so that where I couldn’t reach in terms of my consultation, this situation has made it possible for me to reach those places,” he said.

Governor Umahi also dismissed the insinuation that he had dropped his presidential ambition, calling it a figment of the imagination of the originators.

“It could be just your own imagination because 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.