Nigerians have been reacting to the removal of Governor David Umahi with mixed feelings.
Speaking to Metronetworknews in an interview, a Lagos based businessman, Mr. Ignatius Orji, said that serves all the governors dumping their parties right.
He said it would help to save our democracy from political prostitution.
In his own reaction,a former interim spokesman of All Progressives Congress(APC) in Rivers state, Barr Sogbeye Eli, expressed shock over the judgement.
Said he; “I have just come online to read about the verdict of a High Court which sat somewhere to sack a Governor and his deputy who were duly elected and returned by the INEC in Ebonyi State.
“Recall that this election held conclusively in 2019. I am still rummaging through publications and posts to decipher the real facts but meanwhile, let us examine the following.
“I and many Nigerians who are confused by the judgment purportedly removing Governor David Umahi and his Deputy need proper education.
” We seek a demonstration of the legal grounds upon which their removal is hinged. Respondents must do so from the perspective of case law and statute.
“I and millions of Nigerians are following this case from now henceforth and want to be satisfied that the defection to the APC of this Governor and his deputy breached the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) or the laws of Ebonyi State.
“We need answers to these questions as painkillers before dusk, please”, he requested.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, today, sacked Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress.
The judgement, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the total number of 393,042 votes Umahi secured at the March 9, 2019 Ebonyi State governorship election belonged to the PDP, hence could not be legally transferred to the APC.
The court noted that both Umahi and Igwe’s defection to the APC, not only threw out the PDP, but also the votes that belonged to the party.
Meanwhile, Gov. Umahi has alleged that the judgement which rendered him and his Deputy removed, was purchased.
Umahi stated this during a press conference, in Abakaliki, on Tuesday.
He said, “I am still the Governor of Ebonyi State and there is no tension at all. In the first place, there is no constitutional provision for any hatchet man to remove a governor. There are three ways whereby a governor can vacate his office: it’s either by death, resignation and impeachment.
“There is no other constitutional provision that empowers a hatchet man to turn the Constitution upside down.
“We have heard the rumours before now that he was determined to give judgement against all known laws and the constitution, first to embarrass the APC, and to equally embarrass the federal government”, he added.
However, pundits are of the opinion that it is the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau.
They point accusing fingers to APC for the governor’s removal so that he would not have face to be a spoiler having being assured that he would be the President.
