The 2023 general election is just a few weeks away. What are the chances of Governor David Umahi winning the Ebonyi South Senatorial election?
I can tell you with all confidence that the odds are highly in favour of our dear governor, Engr Chief David Nweze Umahi, to win the Ebonyi South Senatorial race in the February general elections.
First, the governor has worked so hard in the last seven years, providing massive infrastructural development and ensuring human capacity building which has endeared him to not just people of Ebonyi South but the entire Ebonyi State and Ndigbo.
It is on record that the best medical university in the whole of West Africa, and the most sophisticated flyover popularly acclaimed to be another ‘second Niger bridge’ is sited in Ebonyi South. These are among other breathtaking accomplishments of the Governor Umahi-led administration in the state.
Besides preparing a solid landing for himself through people-oriented governance, the governor does not have serious contenders but mere pretenders who are hoping to bank on misplaced sentiments of the unguided to steal victory.
For instance, you would recall that one of the candidates said to be “obedient” was roundly rejected at the ballot in 2019 by the people for gross ineptitude in representation while in the green chambers of the National Assembly. Having been rejected by the people through the ballot to represent them in the House of Representatives, do you think he is now competent to even move higher to the red chambers? Your guess is as good as mine.
Secondly, the other man who is currently counting down to home-coming was ab initio rejected by his people of Edda in 2019 for reasons best known to them. With the intervention of the governor however, including other unseen backup, he was elected to the Senate. Four years later, he thinks he can outweigh his benefactor who parades intimidating credentials in public office. But I want to assure you that the okro plant does not grow above its planter.
So, I can say it stoutly that come February 25, Engr Umahi would coast to a landslide victory alongside our presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
Do you think the political tussle between the candidate of APC for Afikpo North/Afikpo South Federal Constituency, Hon Eni Uduma Chima and the state APC chairman, will affect the party’s votes in the area?
Eni Uduma Chima and the APC chairman are autonomous persons different from Governor Umahi. The fact that they are connected because they belong to one party does not necessarily mean that they would be praised or condemned together. Even the Bible recognises the reality of individual responsibility. Prophet Ezekiel amplified this when he declared; “a soul that sinneth shall die.” He didn’t say that all souls shall die for the sin of a soul.
Governor Umahi as a person and as a senatorial candidate is not fighting with anybody. He is at peace with the party leadership, supporters and constituents of Ebonyi South as well as all major stakeholders across the state. Those are the people who have the responsibility to vote.
You should realise that a political party is akin to a family; disagreements are bound to arise but filial love will always prevail. You should know that Emegha and Chima are brothers, and as it stands, the state government with the party and the stakeholders of Afikpo South are on top of the matter to broker lasting peace between them.
Moreover, Ebonyi South senatorial district is so large for its election outcome to be determined by a localised disagreement. Come to think of it, do you ever think that anything, anyone or circumstance involving two persons in the midst of an overwhelming majority of supporters is capable of changing the people’s decision?
Let me assure you that Ebonyi South as a senatorial district has already unanimously adopted Engr Umahi as its sole candidate in the 2023 general election. Considering the governor’s intimidating performance across the state, I do not think anyone can have both the moral and social strength to defeat him in any election, let alone the Ebonyi South senatorial seat where the incumbent has demonstrated total lack of concern for the people.
Specifically speaking, Umahi will win Afikpo South by 100 percent. The people of the area are so much in love with him because of his massive infrastructural provisions and other governance deliveries. If you have taken time to visit the area, passing through the Iyere bridge, the excellent road network in an obvious difficult terrain, you will understand the general feelings and disposition of the people of the area towards the governor and his senatorial bid.
The Labour Party candidate for Ebonyi South Zone, Hon Linus Okorie and that of the PDP, Sen Ama Nnachi are not seen as push-overs. Are they?
You are talking of the Labour Party Senatorial candidate, Linus Okorie and his PDP counterpart, Ama Nnachi, as if they are forces to be reckoned with. The question should be whether the duo still have the morale to ask for the people’s votes after their abysmal performances in their previous stewardships.
Ama Nnachi has nothing across the senatorial zone to stand for him as an object for campaign. As for Linus, the people are still regretting his two tenures as the representative of Ohanivo federal constituency.
So, when you talk of popularity, I don’t know which context you are coming from. But if you are talking about the ability to command people’s solidarity and votes, the two of them are no threat to Umahi. Umahi is the big masquerade who makes others catch cold whenever he appears.
Let me shock you a bit. The recent political survey in the state revealed that both of them cannot win their polling units. Their people are angry with them for colossally wasting their chances at the National Assembly. Umahi’s credentials and unbeatable performance is the real threat to other contenders.
As the chairman of Tinubu Presidential campaign team for South East zone, what is your take on the chances of Bola Tinubu in Ebonyi State and Southeast in general?
I can tell you again that the chances of our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu winning the forthcoming election is very high because the contest is about political parties and our party, the APC, has done quite tremendously in Ebonyi State and the Southeast zone in the last seven years.
In Ebonyi State for instance, our father, Mr President, has been of tremendous help with financial interventions which has enabled us to achieve the much we have been able to achieve within the period under review. It is on record that the federal government under President Buhari funded the construction and equipping of the centre of excellence for kidney transplant at the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu. He released funds for the construction of the centre for production of limestone granules used in cement production in Ishielu local government area. The president released funds for the Ogwuma Edda landslide which is seriously ongoing. These are among others major projects. This is a gesture which the state and her people are obligated to reciprocate with their votes.
The Southeast zone has never had it so good like under the present dispensation at the centre. For instance, the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road and the Second Niger Bridge have all been executed to completion under the APC-led government which tackled them with unwavering commitment unlike the lack of willpower witnessed in the previous 16 years of PDP misrule in the country. Also, at the level of personal capacity, our presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is the most experienced among the contestants having served as governor, senator and an astute manager of men and resources.
It is on record that Tinubu has made and established people to self-sufficiency level in states across the country and would do more if he becomes president by the grace of God.
Through his fleet of businesses across the country, Tinubu is contributing to the stability of the nation’s gross domestic products (GDP) and with his experience in this sector, we are upbeat that youth unemployment would be tackled to the barest under his watch.
Do you foresee the coming administration sustaining and maintaining the massive infrastructural development of Gov Umahi in the state?
Of course, we are of the firm belief that the incoming administration in the state would not only maintain the existing infrastructure as already put in place by Umahi, but it will strive to do much more. This is because, we already know who is going to succeed Umahi and he is someone who has been part of the administration from conception to execution.
As an insider, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru, when he becomes governor in May this year, is expected to keep up the pace of development already placed on irreversible gear and he will maintain existing ones.
Apart from being part of the establishment of most of the infrastructure, we are confident that the incoming administration would maintain them because they are people-oriented and no government can deliver people-oriented governance without putting in place new or maintaining existing people-oriented infrastructure.
Nwifuru is an intelligent and articulate young man who has been part of the success story of the present administration. Just like Umahi, he has an infectious love for Ebonyi State and will strive to get the best for the state at all times. If only you come closer to him, you will believe with me that the other candidates are merely ‘also-rans.’
The APC in the state are yet to commence campaigning ahead of the election. Does that suggest that the party doesn’t expect any serious opposition?
You are right in saying that APC as a political party does not have any serious opposition in the state. However, campaign is an important aspect of any election and it is mainly a decision of the party on how to go about it.
However, I want to calm your curiosity by letting you know that APC as a party on one hand, and the governor as a contestant on the other hand, are already deep in campaigns. Everyday, in private and public engagements, members of the party and the contestants are always promoting their manifestos to voters. For the governor, who is a senatorial candidate, his name alone is a campaign beyond words and bounds. His performance in office as the governor of the state is a credential above verbal promises and solicitations.
For the records, Governor Umahi officially flagged off his senatorial campaign on December 28, 2022. Before then, even people he doesn’t know have been campaigning for him based on the values he has added to their lives and those of their communities.
If you are talking of party rallies, be rest assured that by January 7, there will be a kick-off of our local government area campaigns which will be the mother of all rallies.
In a nutshell, we are not resting on our oars on account of our not having any meaningful opposition. We are seriously campaigning and will continue to do so till the last day. We are not campaigning to convince people to vote for our party and candidates; the people are already convinced and they are the ones campaigning for us and our candidates.
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