- “We will not vote for Labour Party. We will only vote for APC. Our vote is for APC and not for Labour Party. Our agenda is Ebonyi agenda. We will vote for our Presidential candidate in the person of Tinubu. We must strive to liberate Ebonyi State and that is our agenda” – Umahi
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Monday, said his agenda in government was to liberate Ebonyi from domination of other Igbos, saying that the first step is for all citizens of the State to reject Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi and vote for the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Umahi said that the 2023 elections is a good opportunity to actualize his agenda of freeing the people of Ebonyi State from the domination of the rest of the Igbos by ensuring that they do not vote for Peter Obi and the Labour Party in the presidential election.
The Governor, who is still embittered with his loss at the APC Presidential primary which he blamed on Igbos from the other States of the South East, spoke during the swearing in ceremony of five Commissioners, two Special Assistants and six Development Centre Coordinators at the Exco Chambers of the new Government House, Abakaliki.
According to Umahi: “We will not vote for Labour Party. We will only vote for APC. Our vote is for APC and not for Labour Party. Our agenda is Ebonyi agenda. We will vote for our presidential candidate in the person of Tinubu. We must strive to liberate Ebonyi State and that is our agenda.”
The obviously embittered Ebonyi State Governor, who is also Chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum on Sunday announced that he is pulling Ebonyi State out of any regional South-East or Ohanaeze Ndigbo agenda, declaring that “Ebonyi will never be Biafra.”
The Governor, who decried the alleged marginalization of the people of Ebonyi State in the South East region, chided President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, for his alleged role in the failure of the aspirants from the region in the just concluded presidential primaries.
Stating that he no longer recognizes Obiozor as the President-General of the pan-Igbo body, Umahi blamed him for his loss at the presidential primary of the APC.
He also alleged that the Igbo leader was partisan “instead of making himself a rallying point during the struggle for the presidency of Igbo extraction.”
The newly appointed commissioners who took over the oath of office are taking over from their predecessors who last month resigned different positions in Government to contest the 2023 general election.
The commissioners sworn in by Umahi include Mr. Celestine Nwali who is expected to take over from Barr. Onyekachi Nwaebonyi as Commissioner for Capital Territory Development, Chief Matthias Adum takes over the ministry of Lands and Survey while Chief Romanus Nwasum is to oversee the Ministry of Infrastructural Development for Concession.
Others include Chief Chris Uchaji, Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, Mrs. Beatrice Eze, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Chief Chuks Okoh, Special Assistant on Strategy while Mr. Uchenna Otu will hold sway as Special Assistant on Transport.
Umahi while addressing the appointees and other stakeholders frowned at the low rate of participation in the ongoing voter registration in the state and directed the stakeholders to brace up and ensure that people get registered before June 30.
“It is very unfortunate that the different local government areas in the State are yet to witness high turnout of voters’ registration in the State, apart from Afikpo South that has so far registered over 71,000 voters, others are yet to make any meaningful impact,” Umahi lamented.
