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From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government has mocked the opposition People’s Democratic party (PDP) for rejecting the judgement of the state High Court in Abakaliki which stated that Governor David Umahi and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, did not offend any law by defecting from the PDP to the APC.
The state chapter of PDP had in a statement signed by it’s Chairman, Mr. Tochukwu Okorie, rejected the judgement and accused the presiding judge of corruption.
But Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr. Uchenna Orji, in a statement insisted that the court was right in it’s judgement.
He claimed that the PDP’s grouse was that the judgement has caused serious frustration and confusion in their camp.
Part of the statement reads “we have noted the understandable expressions of frustration and confusion that engulfed the spirit and letters of the press release of the Chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ebonyi State Chapter, Mr. Tochukwu Okorie.
“We would not have joined issues with a man who is neither politically nor legally rooted and a man notorious for faking titles in order to deceive the gullible about his personality, but for the need to put the records straight for the public pleasure. We shall start our response by demanding that he strips -off the appellation “Hon.” in his name, same being an unlawful and fraudulent prefix that follows his name and we hereby give him 7 clear days to drop the appellation “Hon.” in his name in all his publications and or public recognitions forthwith or we file a suit seeking a relief that he be stripped-off the appellation with legal consequences that will have terminal effect on his position as PDP Chairman. He has been put on NOTICE.
“We discountenance with utmost responsibility, the press release of Mr. Tochukwu Okorie as absolutely irresponsible, without foundation and mischievously woven to attack the credibility of a robustly contested and well decided matter instituted by legally recognized entities and personalities who are invested with unfettered right under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to sue and be sued; we view the press release as a substanceless piece calculated to sully the hard earned reputation of the Judge of the State High Court that heard and judicially and judiciously disposed of a matter properly brought before him, and that of the lawyers for both parties who diligently discharged their constitutional duties of legal representation It will be noted that the Judge never acted utra vires and that his court never acted outside the jurisdiction conferred to it by the grundnum itself. Incidentally it has coordinate jurisdiction with the Federal High Court on this matter So, Mr Tochukwu Okorie must know that his disparaging press release is politics taken too far and it goes with legal consequences.
“The verbose and clumsy press release of Ebonyi State PDP Chairman gave indication that his Party, PDP had filed a suit at Federal High Court Abuja to challenge the defection of our dear Governor His Excellency, Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi FNSE, FNATE (Akubaraoha) and his Deputy, His Excellency, Barr. Eric Kelechi Igwe PhD, from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC), Next Level. In other words, they sought to determine whether by their defection to APC, the ‘PDP’ ought not be sworn-in as the Governor.
“In all of this lengthy press release, the only grouse by Mr. Tochukwu Okorie and his frustrated Party is that the People’s Democratic Party was not joined in a suit filed by a candidate that came second in an election that produced our dear Governor in 2019,; the grouse of Mr. Tochukwu Okorie and his party is that the candidate who came second ought to have folded his hands and wait for PDP to be through in the Federal High Court when the law stipulates that should the winner of election cease to hold office as a result of pre- electon or electon issues, that the candidate who came second will be declared winner”
