The news of the defection of Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi State to the APC from the PDP, had in a shortest while generated reactions. Reports fetched by WarriReporters have it that, the PDP party men sees his reasons for defection to be his scouting for the presidency, 2023.
In words of concerns, the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike showed displeasure in the reasons stated by Gov. Umahi’s defection.
“My friend, Umahi wants to be president. There is no problem about that. You have a right to be president. Nobody can stop you. You are educated. You have been a governor for two terms, so you are qualified to say I want to be president of Nigeria. But, that does not mean you blackmail your party, and tell lies to the people you are leaving the party because of the injustice meted against the South-East, that is not correct.
Governor Nyesom Wike, insisted that Governor Umahi’s quest to be APC presidential candidate and not alleged injustice meted on the South East actuated his defection.
He noted that while Umahi had the right to move to the APC, it’s unfair of his attempt to blackmail the PDP with his reasons for defection.
“In life , power is sweet, but conscience is important. It is most offensive and insulting for a man to lie against his party because of power.
My reaction to Governor Umahi’s defection is not that he has no right to defect, but to say he is defecting because of injustice meted to the South East that is insulting to the South East.”
Moreover, The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, yesterday, confirmed his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he had no regrets on decision.
He further stated that he moved to APC to protest the injustice and marginalisation of the South East zone by the People’s Democratic Party for over two decades after the formation of the party.
Umahi said he had no plan to contest any elective position in 2023, stressing that he may quit politics at the expiration of his tenure as governor.
He emphasised that his interest was only to ensure that the zone was properly recognized and reinterated into the mainstream of the nation’s politics.
The governor further accused PDP leaders of treating him with so much distrust and suspicion because he refused to insult and attack president Muhammadu Buhari.
“I didn’t leave PDP because they refused to give me the party’s presidential ticket. I never sought for the party’s ticket, and anybody who is saying that is only being mischievous.
“Even if anybody promises you a presidential ticket, how does it work when over 800,000 delegates will be electing the person? Such promise cannot happen within 10 or 20 people. So, people are just being mischievous about it. The state House of Assembly in their letter to PDP listed more qualified people in PDP than myself from the South East.”
In further reactions from the public, an activist from the Niger Delta, Bernard Ogbe aplouded the Ebonyi State governor for his boldness to stand for the truth and the right of the unified symbol of Nigeria, the Federal character. In his chat with the WarriReporters today, Wednesday, commended the reasons stated for Gov. Umahi’s defection.
“I have had great concerns on what the southeast governors had subjected their region to by running parralle with the ruling APC. Significantly, for decades now, the southeast states romance with the PDP at the time of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and to Goodluck had nothing significant to show for nor executed in the region,from the Federal government. If the zoning procedure, originated from the PDP in their sequence of previous presidential elections in pusute of Federal character can be sacrificed in the alter of an individual, forgetting the massive support from the southeast, there’s no reasons to blame Gov. Umahi on his decision. He’s standing on a treshhold of truth.
Bernard Ogbe also stressed much worries on Delta state and their kind of politics. A state that had since the existence of democracy 1999 had been monopolized by a political party’s ideology.
“Am also more concerned of Delta state. Since 1999, the monopoly of a party,the PDP for decades over the state does not mean well to the growth and development of the state.
for years of romance in the state with the PDP at the center, it’s shameful to note that nothing of great impact from the Federal had worked. Is it our sea ports, or should we say our refineries? It’s a big set back of their ideologies and monopoly and we expect more governors of the southeast and the south south to have a rethink and dump any party system that does mean nothing to their region. We hope this will happen soon and we pray for the best to come” He said.
