The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi state has said that the state governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, should be counted out of the woes befalling the Fred Udeogu-led caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
In a statement made available to Blueprint Tuesday, signed by the APC Publicity Secretary in Ebonyi state, Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad, the party said Udeogu’s legal adviser, Barr. Mudi Erhenede, was deliberately applying delay tactics in a case involving the PDP factions in the state; in order to make as much money for himself as possible, especially by accusing Umahi of being behind the problems in the PDP.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Ebonyi State APC has been drawn to a cock and bull story laced with lamentations, which a faction of the dying PDP concocted in a so-called press conference it held; not in Ebonyi State, but at Wadata House in Abuja.
“The said PDP press conference, ridden with lies, mischief and capable of causing a breach of public peace in Ebonyi State, was addressed by Udeogu, a factional leader of the party in Ebonyi State with allegations that His Excellency, Engr. Dr. David Nweze Umahi, the Governor of Ebonyi State, is the one sponsoring the litigation going on between the Barr. Onyekachi Nwebonyi-led faction and the Udeogu-led faction.
“Ordinarily, we would have elected to ignore this gibberish and childish allegation, but when we discovered that this is a deliberate attempt by Udeogu-led faction of the PDP to drag the name of our dear Governor in the mud, we decided to react accordingly to put the records straight.
“Governor Umahi’s defection to the ruling APC was his personal decision, which he is legitimately entitled to and as such he didn’t take the decision in anticipation that the remnants of the now lamenting and dying PDP in Ebonyi State will follow him. The only anger of the so-called stakeholders of the moribund party is that Governor Umahi outsmarted them and defected to the ruling APC before them. Today, they are stranded because of their lack of courage to join him.”
“It is ridiculous too as the factional PDP led by Udeogu believes that the other factional leader, Barr. Nwebonyi; a lawyer, who is well read, shouldn’t know his right and shouldn’t approach the court to address an injustice done him by the national leadership of their party, without Governor Umahi telling him to do so and sponsoring his litigation.
“Barr. Nwebonyi is a lawyer who knows the law and understands the PDP constitution better than they do. This is their fear and this is why they are shifting blames to Governor Umahi; a leader who is preoccupied with state projects and the development of Ebonyi State. His Excellency has no such time for trivialities as he has no hands in their litigation.
“Udeogu stated in the jaundiced conference that three judges had recused themselves from presiding over the case in Ebonyi State, without telling the world why the judges recused themselves. It is unfortunate that, at Udeogu’s age and exposure, he doesn’t understand the gimmicks of lawyers. The truth is that lawyers make more money when a matter is protracted in court through endless adjournment.
“This is the game-plan of Udeogu’s legal adviser and lawyer, Barr. Mudi Ehrenede. Otherwise, why is Barr. Mudi always making application in court that every judge assigned to the case must recuse himself on grounds of likelihood of bias and allegation of being an ‘interested party’, if not for his pocket?
“As a seasoned and a very senior lawyer and a businessman, Mudi knows that the more the case lingers, the more his account brims with more cash, hence his delay tactics, knowing full well that there is no way a judge will come from heaven and preside over the case. The Udeogu faction of the PDP has opened a goldmine or is it oil well for Mudi and before they know it, 2023 election would have come and gone, while their lawyer is still making applications for judges to recuse themselves.
“So, instead of blaming Mudi, Udeogu chooses to blame Governor Umahi, who has no business whatsoever with the crisis in the PDP. That is leaving substance to chase shadows.”
Furthermore, he said: “It is the height of irresponsibility for Udeogu to accuse Governor Umahi of unleashing mob to burn down the Ebonyi state High Court complex without any iota of facts and figures to substantiate his claim. The truth is that the touts were recruited by the Udeogu faction of the PDP to cause mayhem at the temple of justice, so that he will blame the scenario on governor Umahi, as they have always done. But unfortunately, the police acted promptly and stopped the touts from executing their sinister assignment.
“If an Abuja High Court granted an interlocutory injunction, restraining the PDP factions in the state from parading themselves as leaders of the PDP in Ebonyi State until the determination of the substantive suit; meaning that the PDP has no leadership in Ebonyi State for now, it is none of the business of either the APC or Governor Umahi, because we are more concerned and focused on grassroot mobilization of the good people of Ebonyi State to register massively with the APC from Monday 25th January, 2021.
“We are very busy people and have no time for frivolities. So, if an Abuja High Court says the PDP has no leadership in Ebonyi State for now, how does this affect us and how does it translate to victory for the Udeogu faction, when the substantive suit has not been determined?
“It is laughable and contradictory that the so-called PDP stakeholders, who insinuated that Governor Umahi left the PDP because he lost grip of the party, are the same people lamenting that Governor Umahi is holding the PDP in Ebonyi State to ransom. So, Governor Umahi is this powerful? The general public should please disregard this ranting of Udeogu as that of a drowning man desperately clutching at straws for safety.
“Governor Umahi, as Ebonyi State Chief Security Officer, will not fold his arms and watch Udeogo and his faction of the PDP foment trouble in our dear state. If security agencies had not promptly intervened in the last court sitting, the Ebonyi State High Court complex would have been reduced to flaming rubble by touts hired by the Udeogu faction to cause chaos. We will continue to commend our dear Governor for always being proactive through security agencies and for always maintaining the peace in Ebonyi State.
“Governor Umahi desires a strong and competitive opposition in Ebonyi State and cannot at the same time want to emasculate what is left of the PDP or any other opposition political party in Ebonyi State whatsoever.
“We also seize this opportunity to call on the Udeogu-led faction of the PDP to stop this psychological siege mentality and channel its energy towards rebuilding the PDP in Ebonyi State, which had remained ragtag since Governor Umahi left the party on 19th November, 2020, because no amount of lamentations, mudslinging, name dropping, lies and propaganda propagated by the Udeogu faction will make Governor Umahi come back to the PDP. They should carry their own cross and leave Governor Umahi alone.”
