Ebonyi indigenes urge lawmakers to impeach Umahi over constitutional breaches

The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID), yesterday, enjoined the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Dave Umahi for constitutional breaches in defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Citing a subsisting Supreme Court verdict, as basis for its assertion, it argued that the Supreme Court’s ruling held that a governor could not defect to another political party unless there was internal leadership crisis.

The group maintained that there was no known factionalisation or internal crisis in the PDP before Umahi defected to the APC last week.

In a statement made available to The Guardian, AESID’s President-General, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, contended that the PDP had been peaceful since the court removed Ali Modu Sheriff as factional chairman four years ago.

“In view of the breaches of the fundamental rights of citizens of our state and the potential of plunging Ebonyi into political crises, a threat we had foreseen and cautioned Governor Umahi about, AESID urges Ebonyi lawmakers to immediately commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.

“We make this call due to our belief and understanding of Umahi as a brutal dictator, who is ready to set the state on fire in pursuit of his selfish ambition and interests,” the statement reads.

The group also condemned Umahi’s threats to his appointees, the state legislators and suspension of Hon. Victor Aleke from the House of Assembly for keeping fate with the mandate given to him by the Ebonyi Northwest constituency.

MEANWHILE, members of the South East Revival Group (SERG) have given Governor Umahi a 14-day ultimatum to provide justifications for his defection and his mission in the APC.

Its President and National Coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, in a statement issued yesterday, said: “The reason given by the Governor for moving to the APC at a time the Southeast is agitating for an opportunity to produce the next President of Nigeria in 2023 is unjustifiable and therefore, unacceptable.

“It is obvious that the APC has maintained anti-Southeast perception and its hatred for the region became clearer since it began appointments for several offices, except the constitutionally guaranteed appointment like ministerial positions.”

Ezugwu lamented that under the present government, when persons of Southeast extraction leave offices, they were replaced with people from other regions, adding that for Umahi, who is Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum to suddenly move to the APC, was suicidal and required convincing explanations.