The Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Dave Umahi has alleged that his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, procured and masterminded the Abuja High Court judgment which sacked him as governor.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze, the governor alleged that a video showed how the governor claimed responsibility for the court judgment.
“We have come across a video by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike in which he was quoted as saying that he masterminded the Abuja High Court judgment on Governor David Umahi’s defection to All Progressives Congress, APC.
“Not much surprised at the comment though, we would have ignored it as one of his blubberings but it has become imperative we make a few annotations for clarity.
“Wike from the statement has taken responsibility for the pronouncement of the Federal High Court, thus requiring that he explains to Nigerians how he now calls the shots in the nation’s Judiciary without being a Judge,” the statement alleged.
According to the statement, Governor Wike was reminded that “hence he riggled himself out of the 2015 Appeal Court ruling dismissing him as Governor of Rivers State, Governor Umahi would come out of his current legal issues stronger and unscathed while still proceeding on his presidential ambition gallantly.”
A Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had on March 8, 2022 asked the governor and his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, to vacate their offices for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on whose platform they were elected.
Governor Umahi had also appealed the court judgement, insisting he remained the governor of the state.
The governor urged members of the state and his supporters across the country and beyond to remain peaceful and resolute “lest the likes of Wike and other political desperados score a cheap political point by the reason of their conduct at a time like this.”