Governor Umahi
2023: Group flays Umahi for allegedly luring founding fathers to play-up “non-existent” zoning
From Chinedu Nwafor Abakaliki
A political pressure group, Ebonyi First Vanguard, has accused Governor David Umahi of luring the Founding Fathers of Ebonyi State to play up non-existent zoning mantra to deceive the people in order to plant his surrogate as the Governor of Ebonyi State, come 2023.
The group alleged that Governor Umahi wants to use the instrument of the Founding Fathers of Ebonyi State to endorse his proxy, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 Ebonyi Governorship race, Mr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, on grounds of a non-existent zoning arrangement or Charter of Equity.
According to the group, the so-called zoning and rotation mantra has become an ill-conceived strategy by Umahi to deceive the people.
“This is true given that just on the 16th July, 2022, Governor Umahi, after pointing out the non-existence of a power rotation agreement or Charter of Equity in Ebonyi State, appealed to Ebonyi Founding Fathers Forum to begin to articulate a Governorship Rotation Formula for study and possible adoption by Ebonyi people; an assignment which the founding fathers have not yet started”, the group noted.
In a statement titled:”The Democratic Rights of Ebonyi People are Sacrosanct,” and signed by the Director-General, Mr Monday Eze, on Thursday, the group reiterated that there was no Governorship Zoning arrangement or Charter of Equity in Ebonyi State.
The group described the alleged plot as an anti-democratic and desperate maneuvers by Governor Umahi, allegedly calculated to impose his will on the people of Ebonyi State.
The group further states thus: “the implication of this is that the 2023 governorship race is as open to all qualified Ebonyi candidates as it has always been since 1999 when the current democratic dispensation or fourth republic started. Ebonyi people deserves to be governed by the best candidate in 2023.”
“Ebonyi First Vanguard therefore encourages all qualified candidates from all parts of Ebonyi State to courageously offer themselves for the 2023 Ebonyi Governorship election. As a corollary, Ebonyi electorate is charged to approach the 2023 general elections with an open mind and vote according to their free will and conscience irrespective of which part of Ebonyi State their preferred governorship candidate comes from. Ebonyi State needs the best Governor in 2023; not a clan head or minion.
“It can be recalled that about a fortnight ago, Ebonyi First Vanguard had urged Governor Umahi to pay Ebonyi Founding Fathers the seven years arrears of their legally-approved allowances which he (Umahi) stopped in 2015. The attempt to use the release of the arrears of allowances and other inducements as baits to bend our revered Elders backwards into a frivolous endorsement is condemnable. The Vanguard insists that our Elders should be treated with dignity and respect by all in all circumstances.
“Ebonyi First Vanguard hereby advises Governor David Umahi to respect the democratic rights of Ebonyi people as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution which he took an oath to defend.
“Finally, Ebonyi First Vanguard hereby assures all and sundry that the good people of Ebonyi State will not tolerate any undue interference and encumbrance on their democratic rights by any person or authority no matter how highly-placed.”
