Two days after Governor Dave Umahi formally
joined the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC
the shape of the emerging effect on the polity
within Ebonyi and the Southeast is beginning to
emerge.

Saturday Vanguard reports that discord among
party stakeholders over Umahi may have led to
the absence of recognized national leaders of
the party from the Southeast at his formal
defection on Thursday.

With the notable exception of Senator Ken
Nnamani, who is a member of the Governor Mala
Buni led caretaker committee, all other
Southeast leaders including the Senator Hope
Uzodinma, hitherto the only APC governor from
the Southeast were completely absent.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip
and the highest elected political office holder
from the Southeast was also absent at
Thursday’s event. Also absent was the minister
of science and technology, Dr. Ogbonnanya Onu
who incidentally comes from the same village,
Uburu community, as Umahi was also absent. Also
absent was Senator Rochas Okorocha, the first
leader of the party from the zone.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the absence
of the Southeast APC leaders flowed from what
was alleged as the mutterings that flowed from
the deals the governor may have reached with
the national leadership for his defection.

“You can see it that apart from Ken (Nnamani)
who had to be there because of his membership
of the caretaker committee that all other
Southeast leaders were not there. Not even Onu
who is from his village was there,” a prominent
political player from the state who defected to
the APC before Umahi said.

“You can see that he was welcomed by
Northerners into his new party and certainly his
brothers from the Southeast who should have
been there were all absent,” the source said.
A number of the Southeast APC leaders are also
said to be anxious about Umahi’s eyes on the
2023 ticket. Okorocha had earlier in the week
said that the Ebonyi State governor would not
be a threat to him if he declares.

A prominent political stakeholder from Ebonyi
State who started making his way back to the
PDP once Umahi started romancing the APC told
Saturday Vanguard that many of those who were
forced out of the PDP by Umahi are on their
way back to the PDP that is now in opposition in
the state.

Among those being mentioned is the immediate
past governor of the State, Chief Martins Elechi
who defected to the APC after Umahi, who
served as deputy governor under him came to
power.

Elechi who is mourning the death of his son has,
however, been very low in the face of the
political turmoil in the state.

Meanwhile, the political tension over the
governor’s defection was beginning to fester at
the weekend as the governor’s camp continued
desperately to mobilise political stakeholders
from the state to follow the governor.

As a way of giving fervour to the defection,
chairmen of local government councils were
yesterday making their own defections from the
PDP to the APC.

However, the shocking absence of the Speaker of
the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis
Nwifuru who was expected to lead the massive
revolt of the House of Assembly members
against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was
yesterday beginning to reverberate in the
political landscape in the state.

One source said that those house members who
had earlier pledged were now beginning to have
second thoughts.

Before the governor’s defection it was learnt
that only 10 members of the PDP dominated
House of Assembly had refused to defect.

However, the governor’s camp was said to have
been shocked with the absence of most of the
members including the Speaker last Thursday.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that a number of
the members with the backlash have now
relocated to outside the state to allow a cooling
down of the tension.

Besides, all members of the PDP delegation to
the National Assembly turned down the
governor’s entreaties to defect.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that before he
announced his defection, that the governor met
with the National Assembly members from the
state in the residence of Senator Sam Egwu
where he told them of his intention and sought
their support.

Rep. Igariwey Enwo, a member of the House of
Representatives from the state who was present
at the meeting while confirming the governor’s
entreaty said:

“he told us that he wanted to go and we tried
persuading him but we saw that he had long
gone. I particularly told him that if they had
promised you the presidential ticket or the
vice-presidential ticket that I support you to go
APC,” but the lawmaker said he drew a blank.

Enwo said that a member of the House of
Representatives who made an attempt to consult
his constituents and stakeholders on the issue of
defecting was forced to do an about turn when
he met with rebukes from the stakeholders in
his constituency.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/11/shocker-apc-igbo-leaders-cold-to-umahi/

hmmm

why now

Ibo PDP leaders failed to support Peter Obi, now Ibo APC leaders want to do the same thing to Umahi

techmo:
Ibo PDP leaders failed to support Peter Obi, now Ibo APC leaders want to do the same thing to Umahi

It isn’t new.

They didn’t support Emeka Ojukwu

U mahi is in his own.. Even his brothers have disowned him

Why are Yoruba's masturbating in a matter that doesn't concern them?


They've started with Umahi now but will cry foul as soon as you mention the greedy drug lord of bourdilion call Tinubu

KoleDgreat2020:
U mahi is in his own.. Even his brothers have disowned him

see English oo

This is a norm with defections during the opening of the political transfer window.The dust will soon settle and the political picture will become clearer.

yarimo:
see English oo

what do you know about English.... Is that not a mistake

Racoon:
This is a norm with defections during the opening of the political transfer window.The dust will soon settle and the political picture will become clearer.

this year transfer window open early,those politician are taking us for a ride