Ebonyi council members back Umahi’s defection, laud judiciary

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Ebonyi State Executive Council members on Monday declared their full support for Governor David Umahi, saying they have no regrets in backing his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

The council members made this known while briefing journalists at the old Government House in Abakaliki.

Umahi’s aides, who spoke through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Cletus Ofoke, said the council reposed full confidence in the judiciary which is the last hope of the common man in the society.

According to him: “The Ebonyi State Executive Council has carefully studied the pronouncements of the High Court of Ebonyi State, Abakaliki Judicial Division, and the Federal High Court, Abuja on the legality or otherwise of the continued stay in office of Their Excellencies Engr. David Nweze Umahi, and Barr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, as the Executive Governor and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, respectively on account of their well-considered defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

“The Council respects the rule of law and has implicit confidence in the ability of the courts and judges involved in the cases related to the defection of the Excellencies Engr. David Nweze Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State and Barr. Eric Kelechi Igwe to the All Progressives Congress to discharge the legal responsibilities involved in the case without fear, intimidation or favour.

“The Council is satisfied with the judgment of the High Court of Ebonyi State, Abakaliki Judicial Division, in the matter and the consequential orders of the court that the Governor and the Deputy Governor have the legal right to remain in office.

“The Council commends the immediate steps that have been taken by the Governor and the Deputy Governor to file an appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja on the purported removal of the Governor and the Deputy Governor from office, and the attendant application for a stay of execution of the said judgment.

“The Council wishes to remind all the parties and, or, individuals interested in the case that pending the final and exhaustive judgment on all appeals on the matter, His Excellency Engr. David Nweze Umahi remains the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State as provided for by both the 1999 Constitution (as amended) the 2022 Electoral Act and every other relevant extant law.

“The Council commends Ebonyi people, particularly the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the comportment and restraint they have exhibited in the face of unnecessary provocative pronouncements and actions by some mischievous elements who have chosen incongruent and malignant interpretations of the court’s judgment in a bid to achieve their premeditated devious objective of destabilizing the prevailing peace, law and order in Ebonyi State.

“The Council commends the informed consistency of the Governor on the task of responsive governance which has ensured fiscal discipline, infrastructural expansion, economic growth and the consolidation of the tenets of democracy in Ebonyi State.

“The Council condemns in unequivocal terms the antics of destructive politicians in their failed bid to distract the functional government of Ebonyi State from its avowed objective of setting Ebonyi state on the exclusive list of comity of viable Nigerian States.

“The Council is aware that the present avoidable and absurd assault on the intelligence of Ebonyi people and the politics of Ebonyi State by some entrenched self-serving elements with unbridled ambitions is part of a grand design to truncate the peaceful and logical disposition of the Governor to the well-established culture of rotation of elective political offices in Ebonyi State” they stated.