2023: What Senate President Told Umahi; The Coup That Threw Him Up; And Umahi’s Response

By Gideon Njoku

As the real reason Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan visited Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, is still shrouded in  controversy, some of the discussions between the two Presidential aspirants, are being unveiled.

Many people had wondered why Lawan visited Umahi, even after after 11 Northern All Progressives Congress, APC Governors, and Leaders of the Party in the North had endorsed that the Presidential seat goes South.

The APC Northern Governors and Leaders in a statement after their meeting, agreed that the South produces the President for fairness, equity and the stability of the country.

After their meeting, the story went viral, that he had stepped down for Lawan. But Umahi vehemently denied it, saying both of them only agreed on a mutual working relationship.

At the meetin Lawan told Umahi: “We have always spoken about the need for our party to continue to play the role God designed for us. To the glory of God, the All progressives Congress is the biggest party n Nigeria today. Our party is in control of the Presidency, the two chambers of the National Assembly, a number of state governments across the country and so on.

“It is our common belief in our party that this trend should continue so that in the 2023 general elections, Nigerians should vote for our party to produce the next President, who will replace President Muhammadu Buhari when he completes his tenure on May 29, 2023.

“The National Assembly should also have majority Senators and Reps members.

“From 22 Government Houses, we hope to increase the number. This requires us to continue to be focused in all situations. We will continue to insist on brotherhood. No contest should make us fail.

“I came here to tell you that even though you are an aspirant like I am, we are all aspirants akin of the same father and mother. It is everyone’s desire who aspires to be the most successful. But at the end of the day, our wish is for our party to be united.

“After our convention, when the winner of the Presidential primaries emerges, we expect the rest of the aspirants to show solidarity, to remain committed to the party; to ensure that we win the general election.

“Therefore, I want to assure you that if you emerge in the convention, you will have me as your number one supporter, because I believe that the ideals, the ideology and philosophy of APC are the same in our hearts.

“Therefore, it is my duty to ensure the success of our party at the polls. Similarly, if God makes it possible for me to emerge, I am sure that you will be by my side throughout the campaign for APC to win the general election.”

In his response, Governor Umahi said the Senate President “can count on his unalloyed support if he wins the primary election as he will always stand by the party.” He also said that he would bow to the wishes of the President, desirous as South-east is to produce the President.

Umahi: “I was very happy when you reminded me few days ago about the palace coup that produced you as Senate President. Our party has come of age in terms of discipline. This is the only time that I am seeing that aspirants, who are looking for one thing, are not castigating themselves.

“They are talking well of themselves. It shows, like what you said, that we are from one mother and one father.

“I have always said it, even while I was in PDP, if you know President Muhammadu Buhari very well, you will know that he is a very good man. He is being hurt by enemies, but he will not cast anyone out. He is an extraordinary president. That is why I said that even though the South East needs the Presidency so badly, just like North East, whatever decision Mr President takes, I will stand by the decision.

“Personally, if the decision is not in my favour, I won’t fight the decision. I will continue to support it. I will support whoever that is chosen. Like I always say, power belongs to God. God sees the nitty gritty of the heart of men. He sees who is destined to take the nation to where it is supposed to be.

“So, I can assure you that if that mantle falls on you, I will feel very lucky because even if it is not me, if you are able to have somebody who shares the same character in a context with you, we will be better for it. So, I stand in partnership with you that if it is you, I will be the first to jump out and congratulate you. If it is me, like you said, it is a partnership that God built before now.

“We started working together before now

“We are building on the past and present relationship. We are not studying ourselves. So, it is the same with the rest of 11 aspirants.

“Any of them that God chose as the candidate, both of us will work together to support the President and support such a person. You are a man of discipline. You are not just visiting me. You are visiting other aspirants. So, whoever the President chooses is the will of God.”

The APC Presidential Primaries will hold between June 6 and June 7 in Abuja.

It is expected that a Southerner would emerge the candidate. The front-runners in the South are: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chibuike Amaechi, immediate past Minister for Transportation, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor, and Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, immediate past Minister for Science and Technology.