Defection: You Made A Reckless Statement, Wike Tells Umahi 

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has said his Ebonyi State counterpart, made a reckless statement about the judge who sacked him from office as a governor following his defection to the APC from the PDP where he was elected.

According to Wike such a reckless statement is not needed since Umahi is still entitled to appeal up to Supreme Court.

Wike however said Umahi should return the mandate he got on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for justice and fairness sake.

Wike who spoke during the inauguration of the Eastern Bypass Road in Port Harcourt on Saturday said it was unfortunate that instead of seeking an appeal to the judgment of the court, Umahi resorted to making a reckless statement against the judge.

The governor further 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 remarks against PDP.

He 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 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 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.

Wike explained that PDP members took Umahi to court demanding the mandate of the party from him.

He said: “If our party has 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 Crime 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