The Nigerian Bar Association on last Wednesday lambasted the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, for attacking Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who sacked him and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, on Tuesday.
Justice Ekwo had, in a judgment on Tuesday, restrained Umahi and Igwe from parading themselves as governor and deputy governor of the state on the grounds that they contested the 2019 governorship poll on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party.
He said by defecting to the APC, they could not transfer the votes in the governorship poll to the APC.
In a rather uncivilized reaction to the judgment, Umahi, among other allegations, insinuated that the judgment by Ekwo was bought.
While expressing disgust at the choice of adjectives used on the judge by Governor Umahi, the NBA said the outburst amounted to impunity and executive rascality taken too far.
The association, in a statement by its President, Olumide Akpata, demanded an apology from and a retraction by the governor.
The NBA said, “We noted with utter dismay, the unfortunate and totally unacceptable reaction of Dave Umahi to the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on March 8, 2022 by Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo which inter-alia ordered him and H.E. Mr. Eric Kelechi Igwe to vacate the offices of Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively, of Ebonyi State on grounds of their defection from the PDP to the APC.
“While the NBA has absolutely no interest in the outcome of the case in question and will continue to stay away from partisan politics, it is inconceivable that this association that is charged with upholding the rule of law and defending the judiciary would sit idly in the face of this unprovoked and totally unwarranted attack on the judiciary.
“Indeed, the leadership of the NBA has been inundated with calls from a cross-section of well-meaning Nigerians who are understandably outraged by the utterances of Dave Umahi and who have rightly demanded that appropriate action be taken to protect the sanctity of the judiciary.”
The NBA demanded an apology from Umahi and a retraction of the comments he made against the “person and judgment of the Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court.”
In his apparent submission to the demand of the NBA, Umahi backpedalled and said he would never insult the Judiciary.
The governor also denied attacking the judge, pointing out that the lawyers of the PDP did the ‘hatchet job’, and so misled Justice Ekwo.
Clearly, the Ebonyi governor has eaten his words and thus validated the widely held belief that most politicians don’t have conscience and most of our political parties and politicians have no philosophical underpinning.
To quote the NBA again, “It is unfortunate that Umahi arrogated to himself the judicial powers and magisterial authority to declare the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction as null and void while unashamedly declaring his intention to disregard the Judgment in favour of another.”
Umahi should note that the constitution of Nigeria empowered judges to make proclamations and anyone who is dissatisfied with any judicial pronouncement may approach an appeal court.
In the wake of the judgment, one would have expected Umahi to sue for calm from his supporters and to assure them that all legal and constitutional avenues would be explored to challenge the judgment. He didn’t do that. He rather allowed his emotion to overwhelm him and resorted to attacking and denigrating the high office of a judge in a manner so unprecedented. That was disgraceful, undemocratic and completely unacceptable.
The governor’s reaction has been condemned by many who hold the view that his behaviour to this judgment was consistent with the usual attitude of those who found themselves on the part of the executive arm of government, for intimidating the judiciary knowing full well that the judiciary will not fight back in kind.
“In the wake of the judgment, one would have expected Umahi to sue for calm from his supporters and to assure them that all legal and constitutional avenues would be explored to challenge the judgment. He didn’t do that”
For those who know Umahi well, have alleged that arrogance and impunity are his stock in trade. They equally alleged that he doesn’t brook any forms of criticism, whether constructive or otherwise.
That was why they said he decapitated the state civil service on assumption of office in 2015 and emasculated the Trade Unions/House Unions, through deliberate but illegitimate/illegal factionalization, bordering on barefaced tyranny, authoritarianism and totalitarianism.
He was the only governor in Nigeria to have ruled his state without Permanent Secretaries from 2015 to 2019. He sacked the Permanent Secretaries he inherited from the previous administration and refused to appoint new ones.
In 2015, when he became governor, he quickly imposed his elder brother as the traditional ruler of his community. As Chairman of South East Governors Forum, he appointed his elder brother, General Obi Umahi (Retd) as the Chairman of South East Security Advisory Committee.
In 2017, Umahi appointed his brother as National Vice Chairman of the PDP in the state; another brother as the State Deputy Chairman of the party and yet another one as the de facto Attorney-General of the state.
In 2018, Bernard Odoh, who resigned his appointment as secretary to the administration of governor Umahi accused the governor of not doing enough in terms of improving the lives of the people and creating a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive in the state.
Odoh claimed in his letter of resignation that he was not provided a conducive atmosphere to air his views on sensitive government policies while he was in office.
It was once reported that the way his administration has been run in the past six years has not offered a conducive atmosphere for members of the State Executive Council to sincerely air contrary views on matters concerning the state because anyone with an opposing view is instantly perceived as not supporting the administration. Because of this, the majority of council members have resorted to praise singing and dramatization of council procedures in order to guarantee their daily bread.
Umahi must realize that subservience doesn’t equate genuine followership.
In Ebonyi state it has become commonplace for Umahi to declare his critics ‘wanted’. Once you criticize him or you do what he does not like, he will start announcements on the state radio station that you have been declared wanted. Those declared wanted by Umahi in the recent past included Ene Odi and Silas Joseph Onu (State Publicity Secretary of PDP).
Umahi plays the most sordid politics of vindictiveness ever in the over 20 years’ history of Ebonyi State wherein one man and his family is desperately anxious to control everything and everyone in the state almost including the air that humans breathe.
He should be called to order.
