The Ebonyi State government has debunked reports that Dave Umahi, the state governor, had stepped down from the presidential race.
Recall that, Danladi Bako, media aide to Dr. Ahmad Lawan, senate president, had claimed that Umahi restated his commitment to support Lawan’s quest to emerge as the APC presidential candidate at the primaries scheduled for June 6 to 8.
The statement prompted reports that the Ebonyi governor, who is also a presidential aspirant on the ruling party’s platform, had stepped down for the senate president.
However, the Ebonyi State commissioner for information, Uchenna Orji, in a statement on Saturday, said the governor is still in the race and has not stepped down.
Orji in the statement titled, ‘Fake news that presidential hopeful, Governor Umahi stepped down is the handiwork of desperate and satanic politicians,’ said “The attention of David Umahi Campaign Organisation has been drawn to a piece of circulating fake news propagated in media platforms purporting that the Presidential Hopeful and Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Engr Chief David Nweze Umahi FNSE FNATE (Akubaraoha) has stepped down his Presidential Aspiration for His Excellency, Senator Ahmad Lawan, Senate President of Nigeria’s National Assembly.
“Members of the public are enjoined to disregard the fake news as cheap blackmail and absolute falsehood by desperate politicians who are apprehensive of the acceptable political profile of the Governor of Ebonyi State and Presidential hopeful and whose track records have endeared him to the heart of the APC leadership.
“Umahi never stepped down, but that His Excellency Ahmad Lawan only returned a consultation visit previously accorded to him by Governor Umahi and that both of them pledged to support each other in event of any of them emerging as the presidential candidate of APC.”