After months of speculation, Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has finally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Umahi had last week hinted to the leadership of PDP that he intended to leave the party. He had said that his decision to join APC was because he had been assured that APC will zone the 2023 presidency to the South East.
He had also reasoned that if APC zones the top position to South East, it will end years of marginalization, which the region had suffered.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abakaliki on Tuesday, Umahi confirmed that he has joined the ruling party.
He said that his reason for leaving PDP, where he served as deputy governor and was twice elected governor because of “injustice” done to the south-east PDP.
He expressed dismay why the PDP has not zoned the presidency to the region, stressing. “Let me clear the air and state that I never sought for the ticket of PDP Presidency and I will not. Whoever that said that I moved to APC because they refused to zone the ticket to me is being very mischievous. Because even if PDP promises me, an individual a presidential ticket, how does it work?
“It is expected that we’ll over 8000 delegates would elect the person and such promise cannot happen without more than 10 or 20 people. People are being very mischievous but I tell you, there are a lot of prominent people from South East that can take the slot of PDP.
“Why am I moving to APC? Some people said I was promised this and that but I tell you, there is no such discussion. APC never promised me any position, they never promised South East any position, there was no such discussion; however I offered this movement as a protest to the injustice being done to South East by the PDP since 1998 till date.”
He said that the South East has remained faithful to PDP, voted for her candidates yet had not been considered fairly in Nigerian polity.
Umahi explained that if an Igbo man is President he would naturally be protective of all sections of the country moreso because the Igbo have stake in all parts of Nigeria
