BY UKAZ DAVE / ABAKALIKI
Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has made a dramatic u-turn on his quest to become President of the Senate, saying he has stepped down for the interest of Ndigbo and Nigerians.
To this end, Umahi has urged the people of Southeast geo-political zone to throw their weight behind Senator Godswill Akpabio to clinch the seat of President of the Senate, this May 29.
Umahi who is also a Senator-elect and chairman of Southeast Governors’ Forum made the appeal yesterday at Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke, Ebonyi State, shortly after arriving from Abuja.
The governor oted that Senator Akpabio at present enjoys majority support of the senators-elect, contrary to insinuations in some quarters.
Umahi explained that he decided to step down his senate presidency ambition for Senator Godswill Akpabio for the overall interest of the Southeast and the country.
He expressed optimism that the President-elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu would compensate the Southeast with other tangible positions for sacrificing the Senate Presidency seat.
His words:
“The president-elect who is going to be the leader of the Party called me, and I consider it an honour for him to have called me, because I consulted him while he was in Paris, and he said we were going to discuss about it. So, when he came back, he called me. I also accepted for the interest of Southeast.
“Let it not be as if we are in opposition all the time. Politics is all about dialogue; give and take. Since we did not get that, we will get something else that is very tangible”.
Asked about the support of Senators for Akpabio, he noted
“I am not yet a senator, but if you say senators-elect, the majority of them I know, are with Akpabio, and I am Akpabio’s Campaign Coordinator. So, if you are talking about the existing Senators, may be, but I am not aware.”
On the question of being appointed Minister of Works based on his superlative infrastructural performance as a governor, Umahi said:
“I have worked so hard, and I feel it’s the time to rest.
“Since I am not Senate President, I think it is the time to rest. So, I leave that to the President-elect; I leave that to my destiny; I leave that to Southeast; I leave that to the leaders of APC. Whatever be the will of God for me and for Southeast, let it come true. But if it is for me, I would say that I prefer to be in the Senate, I prefer to rest.
“But if it is a sacrifice I have to make for the interest of Southeast, for the interest of the country, and for the President elect, so be it. But I won’t struggle for it; I won’t ask for it.”
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