Wike tells PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to sanction Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shuaibu, for making disparaging remarks against the party
By Emma Ogbuehi
The last has definitely not been heard of the embattled Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi and his sack by the court.
Umahi was sacked recently by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja because he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he was elected governor to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Umahi has appealed the case.
But Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, vowed on Saturday that the PDP will pursue the case to the Supreme Court, insisting that there will be no hiding place for the Ebonyi helmsman until he returns the mandate he got on the platform of the PDP.
Wike who spoke during the inauguration of the Eastern Bypass Road in Port Harcourt on Saturday said it was unfortunate that instead of appealing the court judgment, Umahi initially resorted to making reckless statement against the judge.
He said: “Look at a governor making a reckless statement simply because a judge gave a judgement according to his own opinion, which you are entitled to appeal up to Supreme Court.
“You have called somebody a thief in the market and you’re saying I’m sorry. It is late. That you’re sorry, we the members of the public, we don’t take it”.
Wike said it was the first time in the country’s s political history that the defection of a governor to another party was contested in court.
He said that the decision of the PDP to challenge the defection of the governor and others elected on its platform should be seen as a clear example of strengthening democracy.
READ ALSO: I have no regrets defecting to APC – Umahi
“If our party had done this earlier when people were leaving in the National Assembly, we won’t have had the problem we are having today.
“That is one of the problems of party leadership. People cannot come out and take the bull by the horns. So, Governor Umahi, be rest assured that PDP will continue this matter down to Supreme Court. We will continue with the matter.”
He said it was no longer acceptable for someone to win an election and defect with the victory to another party for fear of escaping visitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“You carry the votes of another party and join another party. Can you transfer votes? You work hard for somebody to win the election and tomorrow, the person says I have defected.
“If you have defected, leave the seat if you know it’s easy. And this will checkmate most of these political harlots who will never sit one place.”
Wike also disclosed that he had written a letter to the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, demanding disciplinary action against the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shuaibu, for his unsavoury remarks against PDP.
Wike said he gave reasons to Ayu why a disciplinary committee needed to be set up against the deputy governor, who lost his ward in the last election.
He said: “This is the thing I am talking about impunity. I was watching when a deputy governor was ranting in the media, threatening the party that there is an alternative to PDP.
“This is the same deputy governor who knelt down to beg for us to give them an umbrella. Today, he has the effrontery to threaten PDP.”