Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has continued to receive knocks from various groups, individuals, and leaders from the South-East for his call on the people of the state not to vote for Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The governor had on Monday said the people of the State will only vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State and not Labour Party.
But as soon as reports of the statement broke residents of the state and beyond took to social media to lambast the governor for making the statement.
They accused the governor of hypocrisy and betrayal for making the statement after he had recently called for a president of South-East extraction.
Mr Umahi, while inaugurating five new Commissioners on Monday in Abakaliki, capital of the state stressed that Ebonyi people will not vote for Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 general election in the State.
The Governor insisted that the state will vote only for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He urged the people not to vote for the Labour Party during the election. According to him, the votes of the State only belong to the ruling APC.
“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,” he said.
Ebonyi is PDP State, party spokesperson
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement said the governor does not have the capacity to speak for the over two million voters in the State.
Spokesperson of the party in the State, Chika Nwoba, advised the governor to concentrate on uniting his factionalised All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
Mr Nwoba said: “It should be known to the general public that Governor David Umahi is not the spokesman of the generality of the people of Ebonyi State and as such, doesn’t have the locus standi to say whom and whom not Ebonyi citizens are going to vote for.
“As a political party, we wish to charge Mr Umahi to first, put his house (APC) in Ebonyi State in order so the party can have a gubernatorial candidate ahead of the 2023 general elections. A man whose house is on fire doesn’t run after rodents.
“Ebonyi citizens of voting age are very wise and know what to lay their hands on in a time of rain. Without mincing words, Ebonyi is a PDP State, and this status will be upheld beyond 2023.
“We wish to inform Nigerians to discard that statement from Umahi as he spoke in the emotion of a politician suffering from the cancer of woeful presidential primary election defeat.
“We urge Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to reckon with the assurances of the defeated political general whose boots are a modicum of manure in the soil of the Eagle Square.”
Umahi being hypocritical, selfish-Youth Group
A group, Youths for Good Governance, also in a statement accused the governor of being hypocritical and selfish for calling for people of the state to vote for APC presidential candidate.
The group in the statement issued by Ugama Steve wondered how the governor who was asking for a South-East president last week suddenly changed his mind.
“His sole purpose and reason for leaving PDP to join APC was to liberate Ndigbo from political enslavement in the Nigerian state.
“He failed in his bid to win the APC presidential primaries. Two days ago, he was crying on stage shouting where is the justice, why are Igbos treated like second class citizens in a country that they rightly belong to.
“He has forgotten all of these and because he took his stooge whom he wants to enthrone as his successor to Tinubu the other day, he suddenly wants all Ebonyians to vote for Tinubu. Tell me what else is hypocrisy and selfishness?”
The group said the governor wants to be in the good books of Tinubu because he believes with him, his candidate for Ebonyi state governorship election will be accepted as the authentic candidate of the party.
“Dear Governor, you have only one vote Sir. We will vote for Peter Obi and if you try to stop us or rig the election, we will vote against your anointed candidate if he is the one that is eventually accepted by your party.
“Dear Governor Umahi, you are on your own. You won’t force Ebonyi people to vote for your Tinubu neither will you stop us from campaigning for Peter Obi. You have only one vote Sir.
“You can vote for Tinubu but please Sir, don’t do anything that will pitch you against the people. We want to vote for Peter Obi, and we humbly implore you to respect our rights and choice of candidate. You and your family can waste your vote on Tinubu,” the group said.
In a similar vein, the Alaigbo Foundation in a statement by its spokesperson, Abia Onyike, said Mr Umahi lacks the moral authority to pose as an opinion leader in Ebonyi state.
“He does not hold the sovereign will of the people. He is still battling to save himself from humiliation. His poor performance in office and the injuries he inflicted on the people of Ebonyi state are factors which cannot permit him to talk authoritatively.
“He has only one vote. APC is not an Igbo party. So, let him understand his limitations in a democratic dispensation such as this. We are fed up with his incoherent and unintelligent rhetoric,” the foundation said.
