A former governorship aspirant on the platform of the People Democratic Party, PDP, in 2015, Hyacinth Ikpor, has said that David Umahi will still be governor of Ebonyi State till 2023, despite the court case instituted against him (Umahi) by the opposition party.
Ikpor, who is a prominent founding father of Ebonyi State and a kinsman of Idu Igariwey, who was nominated by PDP to take over from Umahi, made this known while speaking with journalists in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State on Saturday.
He said that Umahi would remain in office till 2023 and Ebonyians would decide who to succeed him, adding that a lout cannot not take over from the incumbent governor.
Ikpor, who is the chairman of Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board, UBEB, said that if not to merely distract the governor from his passion to develop the state, why did the PDP not go to court since last November that the governor defected to the APC.
He said, “The creation of Ebonyi State is a necessity for even development. I thank God Ebonyi State was eventually created. As God would have it, the dreams of the founding fathers came true, we now have somebody like David Umahi, who has now transformed Ebonyi State within five to six years.
“Yes, he won election on the platform of PDP but in November 2020, he left the PDP for the APC. People were asking why he defected, he said that he has seen that the PDP doesn’t have any agenda for Ndigbo.
“He observed that the PDP did not have the intention of giving an Igbo man the presidential ticket in 2023.
“It is not evident that the PDP does not have the intention to field an Igbo presidential candidate.
“They are not happy because they lost such a big fish.
“But since then, PDP did not go to court. It is now that they are going to court because they want to distract him or frustrate his presidential ambition.
“As a founding father of the state, their plans will not come to pass. Umahi will remain in office till 2023. Those who are wishing to take over from him should go and prepare. When that time comes, we shall know who to vote for.
“We also know that the governor and his deputy have immunity. You can’t sue any of them while in office. Why is it that they ignore this absolute immunity granted to them by the Nigerian constitution to sue them?
“It is all part of their hidden agenda. And section 308 of the Nigeria constitution gives absolute immunity to the president, vice president, governor and deputy governor, until they are out of office.”
