Tobias Sylvester
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has revealed why he dropped his senate president bid and endorsed Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs.
KanyiDaily recalls that David Umahi, who will be a first-time senator when the 10th Senate is inaugurated in June, had revealed that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, invited him and pleaded with him to drop his ambition.
The governor said he agreed with Tinubu’s pleas to endorse Akpabio as the next senate president, noting that he was also not considering the post of deputy senate president.
Speaking with journalists on Monday at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke, Ebonyi State, Umahi disclosed he had to accept Tinubu’s request for greater regional unity.
According to him, Tinubu would compensate the South-East region with other tangible positions for sacrificing the Senate Presidency seat.
Umahi, who spoke upon his arrival to Ebonyi from Abuja, said that he discussed the issue of his Senate presidency bid with Tinubu and had to accede to his request becuse he did not want to be a clog in the wheel of his progress.
He said “The leader of the party who is the president-elect called me and I feel it is an honour to have called me and I consulted with him while he was in Paris and he said we were going to talk about it.
“So, when he came back he called me and we had a meeting and he said please I have committed myself and it is his right to do that, this is the president-elect, 29th May, he is going to be the president of the country so if he had made promises of course when you are running for such office you must make promises So I won’t be a clog in the wheel of his progress, so I had to accept.”
The Ebonyi State governor was, however, optimistic that those party faithful will eventually reap the rewards for their loyalty to Tinubu’s administration.
He said, “So, I also accepted for the interest of the South-East let it not look as if we are in opposition, we just oppose everything.
“Politics is all about dialogue, it is about give and takes and if we surrendered now or I said No, what will have happened?
“So, I had to in the interest of the South East, so since we didn’t get that one I am sure by God’s special grace the efforts some of us made in marketing APC in the South East, we are going to get some other things that are tangible.”
Umahi also revealed that he was not aware of any resolution of South-East senators to support former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Kalu for the position.
“I am the chairman of the Akpabio campaign council and can tell you that we have more APC senators on our side,” Umahi said.
He added that he would never lobby to be appointed a minister in the incoming administration but leave the decision to destiny, Tinubu and the party.
“I will accept whatever God wills for me but as a person, I will prefer to be in the Senate to rest. I will however, have no choice if it is the sacrifice to make in the interest of the party, South-East and to help the president-elect,” Umahi added.
KanyiDaily recalls that a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode said the 10th Senate would be in a competent hand under the leadership of Orji Kalu as Senate President.
