Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, on Saturday, April 23, 2022, endorsed the embattled Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru as his successor ahead of the 2023 Governorship election in the State.
Umahi stated this during the internment of the Father to the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Barrister Chioma Nweze in Okposi, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
“To Okposi people and people of Ebonyi State, I present to you the choice of the people in the person of the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru and I want Ebonyi South people to know that when it was the turn of Ebonyi South, an Abakaliki man was contesting and the Abakaliki people said no, so it is the time to pay them back.”
Some sections of Izzi Stakeholders in APC had opposed the emergence of the Speaker as the clan’s consensus candidate for the 2023 Governorship election.
Umahi expressed hope that the Speaker would consolidate on the Divine Mandate leadership in the State.
The Governor appealed to the people of Ebonyi South and all Ebonyians to support the Candidature of the Speaker for the sake of equity, justice, and fairness.
“I want to assure you that this Divine Mandate we came with would continue and when this man comes onboard we would not turn left and right from Divine Mandate, so fear not, there is nobody that is thrown up by God that the people would not criticize.
“If people do not accept the sacrifices you are making, God will not disregard it, you can see that his children are very successful, some are Doctors, some are Lawyers, etc.
“2023 has to be ticking off the box, it will not be about promises, if you say you will do B, we have to ask you to prove how you will do A.
“In all honesty, it is my performance and that of others that APC will use to do their campaign.
“I ask you to continue to support our Government, we have only one Party and this party we are in now will continue with the development of Ebonyi State from wherever we would stop.
“Let the next President come from South for equity, justice, and fairness, if the Presidency is not zoned to the southeast by PDP and APC, they should tell the people why.
Governor Umahi responded to the claims by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike that he would not win elections without PDP, describing him as a Lawyer that does not know the Law.
“I am calling him to debate. He wants to be President, I want to be President, let us do a debate so that the world would see how intellectual property would be deployed.”
Governor Umahi extolled the late father of the Commissioner for Trade and Investment for living a life worthy of emulation.
He appreciated the Daughter of the deceased who is the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Barrister Chioma Nweze for being a dependable asset to his administration and announced naming of a popular road in Okposi after the deceased.
“I am directing the Local Government Chairman whose duty it is to name rural roads to immediately name that road leading to Nkwo the Dandy Igweomoke road.
“We are celebrating a man who has lived a worthy life, he was a man of few words, he was not a fair-weather friend and he was determined.”
