Wike ratifies delisting of Omehia as ex-governor, says decision not political

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has signed the legislative instrument derecognising Celestine Omehia as a former governor.

The recognition accorded Omehia as a former governor as well as his accruable rights and benefits has been effectively cancelled.

On Thursday, the Rivers house of assembly passed a motion to delist Omehia.

According to a statement by Kelvin Ebiri, Wike’s spokesperson, the governor signed the legislative instrument into law when it was presented to him by Zacchaeus Adangor, the state attorney-general, on Friday.

Wike said he had always respected resolutions from the state assembly and never had any reason to disagree with them.

“Yesterday, I received a resolution from the assembly de-recognising Sir Celestine Omehia, who had enjoyed the privileges of a former governor of the state,” he said.

“But you will recollect that sometime in 2007/2008, my predecessor, His Excellency Chibuike Amaechi did not recognise Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor of the state.

“When we came on board, there were issues, and the assembly felt that having served as governor, he should enjoy the status of a former governor. I’ve always respected the resolutions of the assembly. I’ve never one day disagreed with anything the assembly has sent to me.”

Wike said the leader of the assembly noted that the strength of information they now possess compelled them to reverse Omehia’s recognition as a former governor.

“The leader of the house said they have better facts, and what are the facts? The facts are the Supreme Court judgment categorically stated that Sir Celestine Omehia was never a governor, because he never stood for any election and that it will be inappropriate for their (assembly) legacy that they didn’t respect the judgement of the Supreme Court,” he added.

The governor said the decision should not be seen as political, urging critics to get a copy of the supreme court judgment for better understanding as “it is the right thing to derecognise Omehia in the eye of the law”.

“I had to call the Attorney General for him to give me his legal opinion as regards the resolution of the assembly, and rightly the Attorney General said they (assembly) are right,” he said.

“That in the first instance, the recognition was extra-judicial, that the assembly has no power to change the judgment of any court, not to talk about the Supreme Court. So, people should understand and not begin to play politics.”

Wike also dismissed rumours that Omehia was derecognised because he had ceased to be his ally and he is now a member of the presidential campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).