Chika Nwoba, Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State shares his thoughts with EDWARD NNACHI on the recent sacking of Governor Dave Umahi by an Abuja Federal High Court

How would you describe the sacking of Governor David Umahi and the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, by an Abuja Federal High Court?

The court pronouncement that sacked governor, Umahi and his deputy is a landmark judgement that should be celebrated across Nigeria. And indeed, celebration is rife in the country and Ebonyi State in particular. The mood of the people of Ebonyi State across political divide is exhilarating. I have never seen that kind of jubilation over a court judgement before. This goes a long way to tell you that the ruling of the court which sacked Umahi and his deputy is a good one. Political harlotry must be discouraged in Nigeria. A situation whereby a political party will suffer to secure electoral victory for a candidate and the person thereafter quits the party for no just reason is a wicked transfer of mandate. That being the case, the court followed it up and did the needful. So, the frenzy coming as a result of the sacking of Umahi and his deputy transcends to non-PDP members. Ebonyi people are happy and may not want a reversal of the judgement by the Court of Appeal.

Some are of the view that the judgement was biased. What do you think?

When in 2015, the courts affirmed Umahi, the courts weren’t biased. All of a sudden, the same man who praised the judiciary for doing the needful is the one lambasting the judiciary now. Well, we know them. They can even say worse things than this. But the truth is that the judgement is sound and devoid of bias.

The court said Umahi and Igwe did not controvert the deposition that total votes scored in an election belonged to a political party. Do you think this was enough to sack them?

The constitution makes it clear that all votes cast at an election belong to the political parties under which the candidates stood election. It’s a matter of law and not sentiment. Their claims should just be taken as the last kick of a drowning horse.

But Umahi is saying he is still the governor and Igwe is still the deputy governor, despite the sacking. What do you think of his statement?

He said that in shock. Remember he rejected the judgement earlier, casting it into sewage water. But you have seen that he has appealed the ruling already and now seeking a stay of execution. So, his claim that he remains governor is just a mere statement. He knows he’s joking. Until a higher court reverses the judgement, he remains former governor of Ebonyi State. It is as simple as that.

During a press conference, Umahi said he didn’t believe in the nation’s judiciary anymore. Don’t you think Nigerians have lost confidence in the judiciary?

When did he stop believing in the judiciary? Just now he is ousted? You can see that he’s not sincere. Nigerians still have confidence in the judiciary as it has overtime proved to be it’s the last hope of the common man. Nobody is begging him to believe in the judiciary.

The APC said the target of your party, the Peoples Democratic Party, was merely to distract Umahi from his presidential ambition and nothing more. Is that true?

Is he contesting for President on the platform of the PDP? What’s our business with his presidential aspiration? See, when a man is drowning, he stretches hand onto any available straw. The Umahi issue is a direct case in point. To answer your question directly, the PDP was never interested in his beleaguered presidential aspiration and doesn’t care. The APC has its plethora of troubles. Umahi was not even the first five top contenders on the platform of the APC. Why should we be bothered about such an anti-clockwise movement?

What is the mood in the camp of the PDP in the state over the court judgement?

The mood of the PDP is not different from that of the Ebonyi people and other residents. We are happy that our mandate taken over to the APC has been returned. We are happy that the judiciary has created a working precedence that’ll now make elected politicians to stop political harlotry. We are happy with the ruling for a couple of reasons. This ruling has put a stop to executive rascality and tyranny in our state. It will mark an end to family business and political mercantilism in Ebonyi State all of which were introduced to our system by the Umahi regime. A lot of things will be gained by Ebonyi people because of this ruling. So, we are happy, and we are thanking the judiciary for this landslide restitution.