By Chinenye Festus:
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has shared his take on the defection news of his Ebonyi counterpart. Wike said the reason Umahi gave for leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is laughable.
Governor Wike further stated that committed members of the PDP were not surprised that the Ebonyi governor formally defected to the APC on Tuesday, which he had been fraternising with for a while.
He also said that his friend Umahi is eyeing the Presidential ticket for 2023, and his defection to All Progressive Congress (APC) is solely because of his presidential ambition, not any injustice meted on the South East by the opposition party as he claimed.
“My friend, Umahi wants to be president. There is no problem with that. You have a right to be president. Nobody can stop you. You are educated. You have been a governor for two terms, so you are qualified to say I want to be president of Nigeria.
“But, that does not mean, that because you want to blackmail your party, and tell lies to the people you are leaving the party because of the injustice meted against the South-East, that is not correct,” Governor Wike said
“My reaction to Governor Umahi’s defection is not that he has no right to defect, but to say he is defecting because of injustice meted to the South East, that is insulting to the South East,” he said.
Wike said he found Umahi’s statements that PDP has not been fair to the South- East hypocritical because he was elected governor under the party twice and the party has produced Senate Presidents, the national vice party chairman, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“In life, power is sweet, but conscience is important. It is most offensive and insulting for a man to lie against his party because of power.” He said.
Wike said Umahi I made a hasty decision to defect to APC even when APC has not revealed where it will zone its presidential ticket, and this move may ruin him politically.
Rivers state governor, therefore, stated that Umahi’s defection should not deter the effort of the National Working Committee, and the National Executive Committee of the PDP, while urging them not to allow their party to die in Ebonyi state.
He commended them and asked them to take decisive steps to ensure PDP remains active in the state.
NEWSIE EVENTS MEDIA TEAM Follow Us On Twitter,Instagram & Facebook
@NewsieEvents,I.G newsieevents, Facebook Newsie Events