Shortly after David Umahi of Ebonyi State made U-turn over his utterances on the judiciary and tendering apology to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the embattled governor has described the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.
Governor David Nweze Umahi, restated his confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Judiciary to discharge justice to all manner of deserving persons.
Governor Umahi stated this while playing host to the Forum of Ebonyi Founding Fathers led by Former Governor Martin Elechi at his Office Ochoudo Centenary City Abakaliki who came to pay him a solidarity visit following the High Court Judgement on Tuesday.
According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze, governor Umahi who thanked the Founding Fathers for their thoughtfulness assured that his supporters would not allow the provocation to prompt them to cause a breach of order.
“Let me say very honestly that I am very much touched, I was not expecting your coming because to me I didn’t take it to heart at all, but like you said Sir, people received the news differently.
“Recall that Zamfara had a similar case on the same issue that the Governor defected at the Federal High Court in Zamfara State and he was relying on section 308 to say that no criminal or civil case could even be brought against the Governor in the first place.”
He announced that having appealed the judgement of the Federal High Court in Courts of Appeal in Enugu and Abuja, he was sure of victory in the Appellate courts.
“God brought me here and no man can remove me, that’s my confidence, so I want to assure you Sir, I have addressed my supporters, I didn’t take it to heart. We have appealed, I am still the Governor of the State, I will finish the job God has brought me to do and hand over and nobody is going to truncate this arrangement in Ebonyi State, the North has done it for eight years, the Central has done it for eight years, the South is about completing their eight year tenure and they now want to bring somebody from the South, the Founding Fathers and all Ebonyians say No, 2023 is the turn of Unwuekumaenyi
“So I thank you very much Sir, I am touched because these are the owners of the State, we hold you at a high esteem.”
Governor Umahi debunked insinuations in some quarters that he was disparaging the Judiciary for the judgement of the Federal High Court saying he has so much confidence in the impartiality of the Judiciary.
Earlier, the Leader of the Founding Fathers Forum and former Governor Martin Elechi said the Forum was in the Governor’s office to show solidarity to the Governor in the midst of the unfavourable High Court Judgement.
He advised the Governor to remain calm as he seeks redress in the Court of Appeal and ensure that his supporters do not cause breakdown of law and order out of provocation.
“As we come in solidarity to His Excellency, so we thank you for making yourself available for us to exchange a few minutes words.
“The news of the High Court ruling in Abuja got to different people at different times but whoever received it was dumbfounded, politics is a very unclear game especially in the third world that you should be asked to leave your Government which you are heading just because you changed your Party is a major chapter in the political history of Nigeria not in Ebonyi State, we are praying God to keep us alive to see the end but for now we appeal to Your Excellency to stay calm and remain strong, whatever is done to you is done to the every citizens of Ebonyi State.
“Sir, we are angry with the pronouncement but we cannot translate our anger to violence, that will be unbecoming of Democracy, please do not allow them to provoke you to say what ordinarily you would not say otherwise they begin to count it for you as their gain, we will carry on with maturity until God gives us the success that we deserve.”
Also Speaking, the Secretary of the Founding Fathers Forum, Dr. Boniface Chima urged Governor Umahi to make legitimate efforts to reclaim the mandate entrusted in his care by Ebonyi people during the polls assuring that the Forum would continue support him at all times.
Is this the quality of a man governing a State? He is selfish and self-serving. He is either jumping the fence or speaking from both sides of the mouth