Angela Mbaocha, Abakaliki
The Abakaliki Township Stadium was on Tuesday filled to Its capacity as Ebonyians marched in solidarity for Governor David Nweze Umahi, after he was sacked by a Federal High Court, Abuja.The people were displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Ebonyi stands with governor Umahi”. “Ebonyians reject injustice against our performing governor”. “David Umahi still remains Ebonyi Governor till 2023″Addressing the mammoth crowd, Umahi stated that he has appealed the judgment of Abuja Federal High Court which sacked him from office as Ebonyi Governor and his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe.
The governor revealed that he has also gone to court for stay of execution on the judgment.Umahi disclosed that he has hired 18 SANs to challenge the judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court and expressed confidence that he will get justice in the end.
He denied ever attacking Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Federal High Court who delivered the judgment against his defection to the APC, even as he reiterated his confidence in the judiciary.
The governor noted that he was referring to PDP Lawyers in his statement who he said misled Justice Ekwo and he ruled against his defection.
He called on his supporters not to take laws into their hands and avoid making comments against the judiciary over the judgment.
“I don’t want you to go against the law. What people thought is for evil, it has promoted your Governor to the next level. I want to thank Nigerians, I want to thank Ebonyi people.
“I am just here to ask two things from you; one is to be very peaceful, number two is to tell you that we have serious confidence in the judiciary. The NBA Chairman published something that I spoke to the press and I said the Judge is biased but when we spoke this afternoon, we understood ourselves and I said that the Lawyers of PDP, they were the people that did the hatchet job and I said that the Lawyers of the PDP were the people that were doing forum shopping and I am going to write the NBA to discipline them because you know, the Judge was misled.
“In Bayelsa governorship election, APC won the election but because there was defect in the credentials of the Deputy, the Supreme court in their wisdom saw that the votes cast in any election, belongs to the candidates and not the party but Lawyers knew about this but they misled the Judge.
“The case of Amaechi that they quoted, the Supreme Court has said do not cite the case again. So, the blame is to the PDP Lawyers and I am using this opportunity to let Nigerians know that nobody castigated the judge and we will not.
“We even made comments yesterday because the matter was not before any judge. Today, we have Appealed; we have done three things. We have done the Appeal at Enugu and when I said that we have two judgments; I said that the judgment in Ebonyi state which has equal powers with that Abuja, I said we will obey the judgment in Ebonyi state, we will Appeal the judgment of Abuja high court, we did not say we will disobey otherwise we will not Appeal. So, we are before the Appeal in Enugu and we are before the Appeal in Abuja and we have also filed stay of execution over there. So, we are still the Governor and Deputy Governor of your state.
“Do not comment against the judiciary at all, the same thing goes with the House of Assembly. Yesterday, I made it very clear that the Supreme Court has said that for any defection in the legislative houses, that the presiding officer who is the Speaker or the Senate President has the duty and not the court to declare the seat vacant. And so, we have Appealed against that and our house of Assembly are still intact. So, there is nothing to entertain any fear for, go about your business very peacefully and let me assure the NBA Chairman that he is a perfect gentleman and that we will never insult the judiciary.
“We have confidence in the judiciary and I know they will do the right thing and we have engaged 8 SAN to proceed to Abuja, we have engaged 10 SAN to proceed to Enugu. Do not be angry about anything, it is for our promotion. What the people intended for evil, God has turned it for good. When it happened yesterday, God told me be still and know that I am God. And so, you will see what God is going to do, Nigerians are fighting for us”, Umahi stated.
