David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi State, has said the people of his state are marginalized within the Southeast region.
The Ebonyi governor who spoke on Arise TV on Friday, noted that while it is important to address the larger issue of Igbo marginalisation in Nigeria, the question of Ebonyi marginalisation within the Southeast should also be addressed.
“Yes, I agree that we face marginalisation, but it’s also important to talk about the marginalisation of Ebonyi people within the context of the Southeast,” Umahi said.
The governor said prior to the creation of the state, the area was starved of basic infrastructure, but noted that he’s been able to change the narrative as governor.
Umahi who also addressed his failure to secure the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), attributed it to the will of God.
Umahi is one of the APC presidential aspirants who strived to get the presidential ticket but the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu emerged as the standard bearer on June 7 and 8 at Eagle Square, Abuja.
The governor said that he would not disclose some things until the campaign begins on September 28, adding that he swore an oath of allegiance to his party and he would abide by it.
“What happened to me at the APC primary election is the will of God. I swore an oath of allegiance to my party in APC and won’t say some things because the campaign has not started,” Umahi said.
The governor was asked why he is not supporting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi who is a Nigerian of Igbo extraction, despite his (Umahi) agitation for the Igbo presidency.
Umahi said, “No comment. I have answered your question and I answered you that when campaigns start we will be answering questions like this because as a man who wants to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I should just do that which is very important.”
Speaking further on Igbo Presidency, the APC presidential aspirant said, “There is no doubt that Igbo missed out so much in APC, but they missed out terribly in PDP. I have said this several times if Igbo would serve APC with the number of years they had served PDP and denied ticket, I will not be happy about that.
“Morally I don’t have any anger in me to say that it must be me (that would emerge the first Igbo president). No. I just did my bit and demonstrated that we have materials. And for me, in terms of who becomes the President of Nigeria, I want to suggest that we should talk on issues.”