Defection: Ebonyi senators, reps, renounce Umahi over move

Etim Ekpimah

Senators and House of Representative members in Ebonyi State has warned the state governor, Mr David Umahi over his defection to All Progressives Congress, saying that the governor is on his own for his decision.

The leader of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Sam Egwu, who read the position of his colleagues during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, added that none of the lawmakers would defect with the governor.

The senators and the House of Reps members described as unacceptable and selfish, the reasons given by Umahi for his action.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said that Umahi left the People’s Democratic Party to pursue a presidential bid.

Umahi during a press briefing in Abakaliki on Tuesday said his decision to dump the party was premised on his conviction that the APC was more amenable to working in the interest of the South East Zone.

He stated that he was leaving the PDP because of the injustice meted out to the people of the zone despite several years of loyalty.

However, Wike said, in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Kelvin Ebiri, on Monday that contrary to Umahi’s claims, the PDP had not been unfair to the South-East.

According to Wike, Umahi’s defection did not come to committed PDP members as a surprise because the Ebonyi State governor had been fraternising with the ruling party over time.

“My friend, Umahi wants to be president. There is no problem about that. You have a right to be president. Nobody can stop you. You are educated. You have been a governor for two terms, so you are qualified to say I want to be president of Nigeria.

“My reaction to Governor Umah’s defection is not that he has no right to defect, but to say he is defecting because of injustice meted tod the South-East that is insulting to the South-East,” he said.

While demanding that Umahi’ should retract his alleged false claims against the PDP, Wike argued that under the PDP, the South-East had over the years produced Senate Presidents; National Vice Chairman of the party and Secretary to the Federal Government.

The Rivers State governor, asked the PDP National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee to take decisive steps to ensure that the party does not die in Ebonyi State.