By Ebenezer Oji
David Nweze Umahi, governor of Ebonyi State, a maximum ruler who brooks no opposition, loves to listen to himself talk even when he has nothing reasonable to say. Clearly, Umahi does not appreciate the limits of his power as an elected leader in a democratic society.
Quite recently, he started facing the worst political crises of his life. His effort to impose Hon. Francis Ogbonnia Nwifuru has not been without resistance from older members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Up till this moment, that matter is yet to be resolved. A faction of the party organized a parallel primary election and elected Engr Elias Mbam, a former Minister of State for Finance and Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, as candidate.
In his usual strange ways, Umahi made a public announcement over two months ago, even before party primaries commenced and told Ebonyians that Nwifuru is the next governor of the state. It didn’t occur to him that it is a democracy and he cannot force down his personal preferences on Ebonyians. After all, not all Ebonyians are in APC.
Shortly after this overreach, the party chiefs decided to flog him politically and he is yet to recover from the beating. Last week he reportedly travelled to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda pretending to have gone for medical checks. But according to many accounts, he was there making frantic efforts to see the INEC helmsman who was there for a conference. He is fighting tooth and nail to have his name restored as APC senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South. But he is still failing and chances are that his party may not field anybody because of his greed.
Umahi is yet to recover from his political humiliation at the APC presidential convention. The trailer loads of rice and yams he allegedly evacuated to the 19 Northern states fetched no single vote.
He thought he was the one to be compensated with the presidential slot. He thinks Nigerian politics could be cheapened for him because he was used to being very lucky since he was brought into Ebonyi to join politics. In his recent incoherent rantings, he blamed Ohanaeze and Igbo leaders but forgot to see anything wrong with his own selfish maneuvers which made him decamp from PDP to APC in October, 2020 or his schemings which led him to undermine/ betray strategic Igbo interests as Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum, a position he had since rendered morribund.
Umahi’s latest attempt to overreach himself occured on Friday, 15th July, 2022 when he addressed Ebonyi Founding Fathers and Elders. He blamed politicians from other zones in Ebonyi state who dared to contest the 2023 Governorship elections. He claimed that only Ebonyi North should be granted the legitimacy to contest, because, according to him, that was the best way to follow the zoning policy in the state. Then he dabbled into his disjointed arguments on the need for equity, justice and fairness.
Infact, he made every effort to incite the Elders against the PDP Guber candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, who hails from Ebonyi South Senatorial district.
But the fact remains that Umahi is being hypocritical. He is a man who thrives in the manipulation of political symbols to achieve his selfish interest. He can go to any length to foist his surrogate on the state so as to continue running the state through his foot-soldiers, outside the corridors of power.
Ebonyians are aware that Umahi is trying to cover up his tracks, having privatized the resources of the state for himself and his immediate family.
Who is he to talk about Charter of Equity now? If he meant well for the state, why did he not address the issues before now when he knew the timing would permit such a dialogue and discussion?
There are many analysts who have argued that since the three zones have had a go at the governorship seat, any one of them can kick-start it now. It was on that basis that the PDP threw their primaries open and nobody was disqualified on the basis of zoning.
Secondly, since 1999 when the issue of zoning came into the political lexicon of the state, it has always been observed through political contest. In 1999, it was Dr. Sam Egwu vs Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. In 2007, it was Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu vs Chief Martin Elechi. Finally, in 2015, it was Engr David Umahi vs. Arch. Edward Nkwoegu (EDON).
Umahi should watch his statements and spare us any further uprisings, disturbances and deadly tensions. Ebonyians have been sacrificed enough. We need peaceful elections to elect credible leaders who will liberate us from the dungeon he threw us into. Umahi should seek the advice of Elders and be prepared to play by the rules. His immunity does not entitle him to cause trouble during the elections as Ebonyians are prepared to resist his determination to impose his agent on the people.
Ebenezer Oji writes from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State