•Says it should zone positions for balance, equity
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has called on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to guide the process that would produce the leadership of the 10th National Assembly by zoning the positions.
Umahi, who was last month elected to represent Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, told newsmen after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, yesterday, explained that the party through zoning would be able to ensure equity and balance of power among the geo-political zones of the country.
The governor spoke on the issue of zoning, when responding to a question on the chances of the ruling APC, which has already returned the highest number of senators-elect, to zone the President of the Senate office to the Southeast region of the country.
He said, “I’m a party man and very committed to decent process, the party and, of course, the President-elect directed that we shouldn’t talk about that yet, we should all go back and work for gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections and I want to obey that directive not to talk about it.
“But I believe strongly that zoning must be done by the party, the party should not allow everybody to jump into the race and then in doing zoning, when the time comes, they must look at all the parameters so that we can carry all the regions along, this is very important.
“But I won’t want to say further because the party directed we shouldn’t talk about it until we have done our elections. Just be assured that APC is getting very strong in the Southeast,” he said.
On the chances of the APC in the forthcoming governorship elections in the Southeast, the governor expressed optimism that the APC would do well.
He also noted that while the Labour Party has no gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Ebonyi State, even if there was one, the APC would still win the election, because of the quality of candidate fielded.
His words: “I will, first of all, like to analyse my state and may be talk about other states. You know, we are going to have governorship election in only three states and House of Assembly election in five states.
“For my state, I have nothing to worry about, I think God has done the work for me and our candidate, which is God-driven candidate, is going to emerge, no matter how desperate the opposition will want to try.
“First and foremost is that Mr Peter Obi, has announced that there is no Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State. That is one, but even if the candidate stands election, he’s no match for the candidate of the APC, so I’m very sure that we’re going to win.
“Because I’ve been very busy in Ebonyi State, it’s not been very much easy for me to join gubernatorial campaign in Enugu State or in Abia State, so I won’t be able to honestly analyse what are the chances of our party, but I believe that we have very strong candidates, especially, in Abia State and I believe that he will emerge. This is the much I can say about that.”
He said his mission to the seat of government was to thank President Buhari for naming the newly completed medical school in Ebonyi State after him (Umahi).
The governors also disclosed that he used the meeting to invite the President for the inauguration of infrastructure projects in the state, including the new Ebonyi Airport, which he also wanted the federal government to take over, as well as seeking approval for conversion of Akanu Ibiam Polytechnic to a University of Science and Technology.
