Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has charged his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi, to return the mandate he got on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike, who spoke during the inauguration of the Eastern Bypass Road in Port Harcourt on Saturday, said it is unfortunate that instead of seeking an appeal to the judgment of the court, Umahi resorted to making a reckless statement against the judge.
He said: “Look at a governor making a reckless statement simply because a judge gave a judgment according to his own opinion, which you are entitled to appeal up to the Supreme Court.
“You have called somebody a thief in the market and you’re saying I’m sorry, It is late. That you’re sorry, we the members of the public, we don’t take it”.
Wike said it is the first in the country’s s political history that the defection of a governor to another party was contested in court.
He said: “If our party has done this earlier when people were leaving in the National Assembly, we won’t have had the problem we are having today.
“That is one of the problems of party leadership. People cannot come out and take the bull by the horns. So, Governor Umahi, be rest assured that PDP will continue this matter down to Supreme Court. We will continue with the matter.”
He said it is no longer acceptable for someone to win an election and defect with the victory to another party for fear of escaping visitation of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC).
“You carry the votes of another party and join another party. Can you transfer votes? You work hard for somebody to win the election and tomorrow, the person says I have defected.
“If you have defected, leave the seat if you know it’s easy. And this will checkmate most of these political harlots who will never sit one place.”