NBA condemns Gov Umahi’s comment over court judgment

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has condemned the statement credited to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, describing the judgment that sacked him from office as jungle justice.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had, on Tuesday sacked the governor, his deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe and 16 members of the Ebonyi state House of Assembly over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court described their defection as illegal and ordered Umahi and Igwe to stop parading themselves as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi state.

Shortly after the judgement was delivered, Governor Umahi described the judgement as jungle justice and the judge as a “hatchet man”.

But, the NBA in a statement signed by its president, Olumide Akpata, described Umahi’s statement as unfortunate.

The NBA boss, in the statement, said, ”We noted with utter dismay, the unfortunate and totally unacceptable reaction of H.E. Engr. Dave Umahi, to the Judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on 8th March 2022, coram 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 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

”Following the Judgment, Engr. Umahi, in the course of a Press Conference – video evidence of which is currently making the rounds on both new and mainstream media – threw caution to the wind and deployed very uncomplimentary adjectives and intemperate language in characterizing both the Judgment and Hon. Justice Ekwo, including but not limited to describing the Judgment as “jungle justice” and His Lordship as “a hatchet man”.

“As if these were not enough, Engr. Umahi accused the Court of “murdering justice” and also 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.

”To put it plainly, this is impunity of the highest order and executive rascality taken too far. 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 Engr. Dave Umahi and who have rightly demanded that appropriate action be taken to protect the sanctity of the Judiciary.

“It is for this reason that we condemn without equivocation, Engr. Umahi’s unfortunate diatribe which, if it had emanated from an average litigant, would still have been regarded as shocking but coming from one who occupies the exalted office of a State Governor, is nothing short of a national embarrassment.

“In the wake of the Judgment, one would have expected Engr. 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”, Akpata added.

For Gov Umahi to instead resort to attacking and denigrating the high office of a Judge in an unprecedented manner, the NBA boss said, “is disgraceful, undemocratic and completely unacceptable.”

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