By Damola Emmanuel
Ebonyi State Governor, Engineer Dave Umahi, made a grand entry to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Thursday, in a mega rally that disregarded social distancing, and with majority of attendees not wearing masks.
The breach of the COVID-19 safety protocols, notwithstanding, it was a glorious outing for the governor and fans who believe the governor’s political move would bring positive dividends for Ebonyi State and the South East in general.
Speaker after speaker eulogized Umahi to high heavens on the great transformation, they claimed, he had brought to the state. Indeed, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, in a moving speech said his boss had transformed Ebonyi to another Dubai. The speakers also believed that crossing to APC would move the region closer to achieving its dream of Igbo Presidency.
The epochal event was witnessed by stakeholders and governors of All Progressives Congress. They include: former Senate President, Dr. Ken Nnamani; Chairman, APC National Caretaker Committee who is also the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; Jigawa State Governor, Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar; Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu and Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, among others.
In his speech, Governor Umahi announced that with his official defection to the APC, “henceforth, Ebonyi is 100% APC. We are all moving to APC.”
But he was emphatic in his belief that the party, indeed, all the good people of Ebonyi need to be united now more than ever before, He also called for unity between both APC and PDP, noting that, “Together, we are stronger.”
Speaking, the State Deputy Governor, Eric Igwe, told the crowd that he is glued to his boss and will be joining his principal in his new party, APC.
“Where you go I will go,” Igwe said. “Where you stand, I will stand.”
Other dignitaries present at the well-attended event include: the Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs, Mohammed Sarki Abba, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq.
The Crest recalls that Umahi had, on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, dumped the PDP for the APC after weeks of speculation that he had taken the decision to cross from the opposition party to the ruling party.
Umahi rubbished the claim that he left the PDP to actualize his political ambition of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023.
His primary motivation, he expatiated, was the fact that the South East region had suffered great injustice under the PDP umbrella and now is time to use the APC broom to sweep the state and the region clean of all prejudices that had stalled its political advancement all these years.