Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has urged Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi to return the mandate he got on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike, who made the demand yesterday while speaking at the inauguration of the Eastern Bypass Road in Port Harcourt, said it was rather unfortunate that instead of seeking appeal to the judgment of the court that sacked him, Umahi made a reckless statement attacking the judge.
The governor said: “Look at a governor making a reckless statement simply because a judge made a judgement according to his own opinion, which you are entitled to appeal up to the Supreme Court.
You have called somebody a thief in the market and you’re saying I’m sorry, it is late. That your sorry, we members of the public don’t take it.”
He stated that it was the first time in Nigeria’s political history that defection of a governor to another party was being contested in court.
Wike said 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 what is required to strengthen democracy.
The governor, who stated that it was PDP members who took Umahi to court to demand the mandate of the party from him, said: “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.
