Politics

Ebonyi PDP Senators, Reps disown Umahi over defection

Published

4 years ago

November 18, 2020

EBONYI State National Assembly Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Wednesday disowned the state Governor, Dave Umahi, who has dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying he is on his own.

Addressing Journalists on behalf of the Lawmakers, former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, PDP, Ebonyi North said that no single lawmaker in the National Assembly will follow as they remain full-blooded and loyal PDP members…

According to Egwu, the Senator and members, House of Representatives considered the decision of the governor as impolitic, indecent and unwise to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning.

Senator Egwu who is a ranking Senator said that it was not fair for the governor to describe the PDP as not fair to the South East Zone when he has benefited immensely from the party in the past and at the moment, just as the governor was reminded of Supreme Court ruling on when to leave a party when there is no crisis in the party.

According to them, they support that it is the turn of the South-East to fly the Presidential flag of any of the major political parties come 2023.

The read text was signed by Senator Sam Ominyi Egwu; Senator Obinna Ogba; Senator Mike Ama Nnachi; Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga; Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo; Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku; Hon. Edwin Anayo and Hon. Livinus Makwe.

The statement read, “We, the undersigned members of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus of the National Assembly, wish to address our fellow PDP members and other well-meaning Nigerians, on the defection of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi from the PDP to the APC.

“For the sake of clarity, we wish to state that not a single member of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus of the National Assembly is defecting to the APC. The three Distinguished Senators and five House of Representatives members remain proud card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform under which we contested and won elections in 2019.

“The major reason given by Chief Umahi for defecting from the PDP to the APC is now in the Public domain which is that the PDP has not been fair to the People of the South East on the issue of zoning the Presidency and vice Presidency.

“While we support that it is the turn of the South East to fly the Presidential flag of any of the major political parties come 2023, yet we consider it impolitic, indecent and unwise to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning.

“Indeed, if there is any Ebonyi person who should remain eternally grateful to the PDP, that individual ought to be the Governor David Umahi; a man who was appointed the Ebonyi State Chairman of the PDP, made deputy governor of a PDP administration, and was elected for two terms under the banner of the PDP. As Governor, his two younger brothers were elected to principal offices of the PDP; one (Mr Austine Umahi) as the National Vice Chairman (South East) and another (Mr. Maxwell Umahi) as the Deputy State Chairman of the PDP.

“As democrats, we concede Chief Umahi’s right to join any political association of his choice. However, as Federal Lawmakers we are not unaware of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of political parties. What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another, particularly when there is no division in their party.

“We wish to use this opportunity to thank the leadership of our great party, the PDP for their prompt action in dissolving the ward, local government, state and Zonal structures of the party in Ebonyi State, and their announcement of a state caretaker team.

” We also wish to thank teeming members and supporters in our various constituencies who have remained undaunted and committed to their membership of the PDP. We also wish to thank the South East caucus, and indeed the entire PDP family of the National Assembly.”