The Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, says the South-East would have been forgotten in the calculations for the 2023 general election but for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Umahi said that although he would be backing the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he was impressed with Obi’s candidacy.
The Ebonyi governor spoke on Friday shortly after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to inform him about the completion of a new Governors’ Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
Asked if the APC would be able to win the 2023 presidency, going by the growing popularity of Obi, Umahi said that only God could determine the eventual winner.
However, he expressed confidence in the APC’s ability to coast to victory.
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Responding to questions on crisis rocking the APC, Umahi said, “Well, I think that, you know, we don’t have issues in the APC like the kind of issues that we have in other parties. They say in a big house, you know, there are vessels onto honour and there are vessels onto dishonour. Literally, meaning that there must be some issues in a big house like the APC. But the structure and the spread of APC is such that victory is assured.
“I can assure you that some of the disagreements in some States are going to be resolved. Mechanism has been put in place by Mr. President, the candidate of the party, his vice and then the national chairman and leadership of the party, to sort out those differences. And I think we are well prepared for victory in 2023”.
On the South-East zone’s readiness for the presidency going by the happenings at the APC primaries, the Ebonyi governor said, “Well, I think that. you know, we don’t have issues in the APC like the kind of issues that we have in other parties. They say in a big house, you know, there are vessels onto honour and there are vessels onto dishonour. Literally, meaning that there must be some issues in a big house like the APC. But the structure and the spread of APC is such that victory is assured.
“I can assure you that some of the disagreements in some States are going to be resolved. Mechanism has been put in place by Mr. President, the candidate of the party, his vice and then the national chairman and leadership of the party, to sort out those differences. And I think we are well prepared for victory in 2023”.
Asked if Obi’s candidacy contributed to the lull in killings in the South-East, Umahi said, “You cannot technically assign the killings because of Igbo presidency, you can see that security generally is improving in the country. And it has nothing to do with the movement of Peter Obi.
“Peter Obi movement is a movement that is anchored on equity, justice and fairness. It may not translate to outright win because I must defend my party, I must wish my party well and I’m having the ticket of my party. So but whether what he is doing has meaning in there, not only South East, it does have meaning. So we must never attribute the killings in South East to this kind of movement.
“Peter Obi’s movement and all the movement are authored on God’s will, is only God who knows who will win, but there must be a wish. As a party man, I would wish that our party wins. And if God says no, the next person I wish that should win is Peter Obi. Because I believe strongly and I will say it anywhere that after the north has taken eight years, there is no moral justification for the north to be seeking to take another eight years, it should go to the south.
“So I’m not wishing Peter Obi away. God has the final say and he has the power and gives to whomever He wishes.”
On whether Obi stood any chance of winning, Umahi said, “Yes. It’s going to be a different ball game altogether. Because when campaign starts, yes, the interest of our people in terms of presidency is there, you can’t wish it away. But everyone in south east holding the ticket of their party is going to be struggling and he’s going to be fighting. You will not tell the guy that has the ticket of House of Assembly to look at the bigger picture of Igbo presidency. He may not see it but that is not to say that you know Peter Obi is not going to get substantial votes in South East, it is there”.