NBA STATEMENT ON THE REACTION OF H.E ENGR DAVE UMAHI TO THE JUDGEMENT OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT

Dear Colleagues,

As you may already know, the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, delivered a judgment on the 8th day of March 2022, inter alia directing the Governor and Deputy of Ebonyi State to vacate their offices as a result of their defection from PDP to APC.

In the wake of the judgment, H. E. Engr. Dave Umahi, in a press conference, attacked the judgment and made uncomplimentary remarks on the person of the Judge, Hon. Justice Ekwo.

Kindly find attached, a Statement by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, condemning the attack, demanding an apology and a retraction of the demeaning remarks.

Dr. Rapulu Nduka
Publicity Secretary
Nigerian Bar Association

READ HIS FULL STATEMENT BELOW

STATEMENT OF THE NBA PRESIDENT – OLUMIDE AKPATA ON THE REACTION OF
H.E. ENGR. DAVE UMAHI TO THE JUDGMENT OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT

The Nigerian Bar Association (“NBA”) has noted with utter dismay, the
unfortunate and totally unacceptable reaction of H.E. Engr. Dave Umahi to
the Judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja delivered on 8th March 2022,
coram Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo which inter-alia ordered him and H.E.
Mr. Eric Kelechi Igwe to vacate the offices of Governor and Deputy Governor,
respectively, of Ebonyi State on grounds of their defection from the Peoples’
Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Following the Judgment, Engr. Umahi, in the course of a Press Conference –
video evidence of which is currently making the rounds on both new and
mainstream media – threw caution to the wind and deployed very
uncomplimentary adjectives and intemperate language in characterising
both the Judgment and Hon. Justice Ekwo, including but not limited to
describing the Judgment as “jungle justice” and His Lordship as “a hatchet
man”. As if these were not enough, Engr. Umahi accused the Court of
“murdering justice” and also arrogated to himself the judicial powers and
magisterial authority to declare the judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction as null and void while unashamedly declaring his intention to
disregard the Judgment in favour of another. To put it plainly, this is impunity of
the highest order and executive rascality taken too far.

While the NBA has absolutely no interest in the outcome of the case in question
and will continue to stay away from partisan politics, it is inconceivable that
this Association that is charged with upholding the rule of law and defending
the Judiciary would sit idly by in the face of this unprovoked and totally
unwarranted attack on the Judiciary. Indeed, the leadership of the NBA has
been inundated with calls from a cross-section of well meaning Nigerians who
are understandably outraged by the utterances of Engr. Dave Umahi and who
have rightly demanded that appropriate action be taken to protect the
sanctity of the Judiciary. It is for this reason that we condemn without
equivocation, Engr. Umahi’s unfortunate diatribe which, if it had emanated
from an average litigant, would still have been regarded as shocking but
coming from one who occupies the exalted office of a State Governor, is
nothing short of a national embarrassment.
In the wake of the Judgment, one would have expected Engr. Umahi to sue
for calm from his supporters and to assure them that all legal and constitutional
avenues would be explored to challenge the Judgment. For H.E. Engr. Umahi
to instead resort to attacking and denigrating the high office of a Judge in this

unprecedented manner is disgraceful, undemocratic and completely
unacceptable.
As Kayode Eso, JSC of blessed memory famously noted, “[t]he essence of the
rule of law is that it should never operate under the rule of force or fear.” We
view Engr. Umahi’s reaction to this Judgment as being consistent with the
current penchant, on the part of those in the executive arm of government,
for intimidating the Judiciary whilst taking advantage of the historical
reluctance of that arm of government to rise to its own defence.
In light of the foregoing, the NBA hereby demands an immediate apology from
H.E. Engr. Dave Umahi and a retraction of the comments he made against the
person and Judgment of the Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High
Court. It is also our demand that this apology and retraction be given as much
media coverage as the Press Conference where the unfortunate comments
were made.

OLUMIDE AKPATA
President
9th March 2022