Published November 17, 2020
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has said he wants to be a martyr who will be sacrificed to achieve the much -sought Igbo presidency .
Umahi made the declaration on Tuesday in Abakaliki while briefing newsmen, noting that only martyrs make sacrifices for the peoples ’ interest in difficult times.
The governor , who confirmed that he is defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress, said he will not regret the decision no matter its outcome .
“ I have to lead the protest against the marginalisation of the Igbos by the PDP and I don’ t have to consult anybody to lead such a protest .
“ I don ’t want the PDP to collapse in the South -East but it can collapse itself in the zone if it does not heed the peoples ’ advice to entrench justice , fairness , and equity .
“ The PDP should be bold to declare its stand on zoning of the presidency to the South -East and if it cannot , should tell us why we are not capable of holding such a position but will come for our votes during elections, ” he said .
Umahi said that the decision to leave PDP was not about leadership but about patriotism , justice , fairness and the overall interest of the people .
“ I am not vying for any position in the APC so anybody who does not like me over the defection will be fighting the air .
“ I will instead play the fatherly role of guiding anyone who wants to vie for any position because it is a waste of time for any governor to seek to replace himself.
“ When you are looking for everybody to be loyal to you in politics, you might not get to your destination because destinations are not straight but full of obstacles, ” he said .
Umahi said that he will not be disturbed if the APC fails to zone the presidency to the South -East but will depend on God to determine the matter.
“ The APC , however , appears to be amenable towards working with the South -East even though the South -East never supported it the way it supported the PDP since 1999 .
“ We would be 24 years with the PDP by 2023 and Ebonyi , under my administration , will testify the numerous feats we have attained with the support of my friend and father , President Muhammadu Buhari, ” he said.
He said his defection has created a political gathering and mass movement , unprecedented in Ebonyi history with both PDP and APC faithful coming together to pursue a common cause .
“ I will have no regrets if our agitations are not met in APC as it will be on record that a governor was sacrificed for the betterment of his people on what is rightfully , their due .
“ We will still protest if we are still unfairly treated in the APC because protest is the beauty of democracy and if it doesn ’t work now , it can work in future ,” he said.
( NAN )
