By James Orji
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state has given a hint about his future in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC if the party refused to cede its 2023 Presidential ticket to the south east.
The governor is believed to have defected to the APC to actualize his presidential ambition. He is among prominent Igbo politicians clamoring that the region be given a shot at the president of the country for the first time.
Speaking on sundry issues, including the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP on Channel Television, on Friday the Ebonyi helmsman said he will be disappointed if his party failed to chose its presidential candidate from the south east.
According to him, deserved to be considered for the nation’s number one position having been left out for so long while other major political zones in the country took their turns for the presidency.
Umahi who left the PDP for APC last year said “The heartbeat of the people of the South-East is that they should be given a chance whether in the PDP or the APC for Presidency of this country for the reason of equity, fairness and justice,” he said.
“I took that position in the PDP and one of the reasons why I took that position is because the South-East people have supported the PDP all the way and they have never been given any opportunity to do that.”
The governor gives a hint about his membership of APC if his party refused to select an Igbo man as its presidential flagbearer.
He said “If I follow APC for this length of time, and they don’t give the South-East an opportunity, I will feel bad.
“I will feel bad if I stay the same length of time as I did in the PDP and that happens. But I can’t say what I will do. It depends on what God places in my mind,” he added.
Governor Umahi meanwhile, has described the predicament of the embattled National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus as self-inflicted. According to him, he saw the problem coming and had warned Secondus ahead of time that some powerful interest in the PDP will move against him.
He said those that want Secondus out as the leader of the party are suspicious of him that he will not serve their interest in the 2023 presidential election.
Umahi said “I won’t say I’m happy with what is happening to the chairman — Secondus — because he was a bit naive. When I was in PDP, I had a revelation from God and I prophesied that Obaseki was going to win,” he said.
“He (Obaseki) was in APC, I was in PDP. A governor of PDP instigated Secondus to set up a disciplinary committee against a sitting governor, and I was very upset about that.
“In humility, I submitted myself to that committee, but I know a particular governor who is the owner of PDP did that, and Secondus had to succumb to that and that divided their working committee.
“So, when I was leaving, I told them — do two things. I was told that the working committee, especially Secondus, was going to be unduly removed to give one man or two the leverage of owning the PDP.
“I said that should not happen, and I told Secondus and I told all the working committee when they visited me in Abuja.
“And the second one was — cede presidency to the south-east and we will all be together. Nut they did not. I think it is the will of God to be where I am and I’m very happy,” the governor said.
