South East Senators-elect Are Behind  Akpabio, Gov Umahi Insists

Ebonyi State Governor and  Senator-elect of Ebonyi South Senatorial zone, Chief David Umahi, yesterday insisted that the majority of the South East Senators-elect are with the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to emerge Senate President of the 10th Assembly.

Umahi made the disclosure at the President Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke Ezza South Local Government Area of the state, on arrival from his visit to Abuja.

The chairman South East Governors Forum however said he is not aware that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has been endorsed for the top Senate seat, even though some serving senators from the zone may be supporting the former Abia State governor.

“The senators-elect, majority of them are with Akpabio, I am leading them and I am the chairman of Akpabio campaign organization and so if you say that the existing senators are supporting Orji Kalu, Maybe but I am not aware of such support.”

Umahi further disclosed that he withdrew from the race for the Senate President in the interest of the South East region, adding that it will not be in the interest of the zone to always be in the opposition and protesting.

He stated that politics is all about dialogue, adding that if the South East “surrenders now, by God’s special grace and considering the efforts made in marketing APC in the zone, we will get some other things that are tangible in the South East,” he said.

He continued, “The president-elect called me, because I consulted him while he was in Paris and he said we will 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.”

So if he has made promises, I wouldn’t be a clog in the wheel of his progress, so I accepted to step down for Akpabio.”

Umahi further maintained that he would prefer to be in the Senate than to accept to work as the Minister for Works adding that should the president-elect, his destiny and the leaders of the South East feel otherwise, he would accept the offer.