By Charles Igbo
Dave Umahi, Ebonyi State Governor, has obviously made an about-turn in his opinion and relationship with Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
In 2019, Umahi could not hide his anger when Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, then and now, picked Obi as his running mate. He spoke against it publicly. He said he was not consulted nor was other PDP South-east Governors consulted.
Not a few people think Umahi did not vote for the PDP ticket in 2019, and they also think it is one of the reasons Umahi defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the PDP.
Now all that has changed.
Speaking on Arise Television, Friday, in an interview session, Umahi said he is proud of the waves Peter Obi is making in his aspiration to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
He said it was because he knew that PDP was not going to give anybody from the South-east its Presidential ticket that he left. For all the support the South-east gave to the PDP since 1999, Umahi said the Party has been unfair to the region. He said that is why he is happy with Obi and the waves he is making. For that, Umahi disclosed that he would publicly host Obi in Ebonyi State.
Umahi: “I foresaw that the PDP was not going to give its Presidential ticket to an Igbo man and I said no, that was not fair because we had served this party since 1999. That was my position.
“A lot of people crying today were the people who were attacking me for leaving the Party at that State but subsequently, they left. They owe me a lot of apologies.
“Peter Obi is my brother. I am proud of what he is doing and it would have been a disaster if the South-east was not heard at all in the quest for the Presidency and I wish him well. What happened to me at the Presidential Primaries was the will of God.
“Peter Obi is my friend and I will do that publicly. I like what he is doing and it is very encouraging. I have never mentioned him in my interviews and that is it. Campaigns have not started.”
Obi is the only serious Presidential candidate from the South-east. He dumped the PDP three days to the Party’s Presidential Primary for the then moribund LP, when he found out the PDP ticket would be a no-contest between the aspirants and the eventual winner, Atiku.
He has since revived the almost dead LP.
