2023 Elections: Umahi Insists On Dumping PDP For APC, Defies Secondus, Others

Related stories

Why I Renamed IBB’s Govt Built International Conference Centre After Tinubu – Wike

By Kolawole Ojebisi The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,...

My Soul Has Left PDP, Says Momodu

By Kolawole Ojebisi The publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu,...

Let’s Go To Party, By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

Fellow countrymen and women, let’s take a trip to...

Budget of barbarians, for brigands, by buccaneers

By Ugo Onuoha THE first thing that the legislative and...

Oil Prices Could Sink Below $50 This Year

Crude oil prices could decline below $50 a barrel this...

By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)

All is set for the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Dave Umahi to leave the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the national leadership of party had in the last few days tried in vain to convince him not to quit.

Umahi hinged his decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the ability of the party to serve the interest of the South-East in the 2023 elections.

It was gathered that Umahi told the members of the National Working Committee of the PDP at a meeting in Abuja, Tuesday, that his decision to join the APC was final.2023 Elections Umahi

Read also: El-Rufai To Daura: I Won’t Support A Northerner To Succeed Buhari

The members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), who were led to the meeting by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, were said to have tried to convince the governor not to abandon the party but he held on to his decision.

Others that were at the meeting held at the Ebonyi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja include Deputy National Secretary, Mr Agbo Emmanuel; National Organising Secretary, Mr Austin Akobondu; Financial Secretary, Mr Abdullahi  Maibasira;  National Women Leader, Mariya Waziri and Senator Suleiman Nazif.

The PDP delegation made effort to convince Umahi that there was no need leaving the PDP for the APC, which they argued had become unpopular.

According to sources at the meeting, Umahi was not convinced on the reasons to rescind his decision, insisting that the APC was planning to zone the 2023 presidency to the South-East.

He said he would only remain in the PDP if the party could make a pronouncement that it would zone the presidency to the same zone (South East).

Read also: #EndSARS: How Boko Haram Started Through Protest By Youths — Gov Zulum

“I think his (the governor) mind was made up. We told him there was no need for him to abandon the party that had made him a deputy governor, state chairman of the party, two-time governor and all that but he refused.

“He wanted us to unilaterally zone the office of the presidency to his area. We cannot do that. Parties are not run that way. He told us he was leaving. That is what we got from him,” one of the sources said.

Secondus who confirmed that the party’s leadership met with Umahi, however refused to shed more light on the details of the meeting, insisting that the meeting was based on national issues.

Governor Umahi is believed to be a supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari for years and some of his colleagues in PDP,  had casted aspersions on him on being a friend of the President and noted he might leave the party some day for the Buhari-led APC.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Why I Renamed IBB's Govt Built International Conference Centre After Tinubu - WikeMy Soul Has Left PDP, Says MomoduLet’s Go To Party, By Uzor Maxim UzoatuBudget of barbarians, for brigands, by buccaneersOil Prices Could Sink Below $50 This YearExclusive: Nigeria's $5 billion oil-backed loan from Aramco delayed by oil price drop, say sourcesTop APC Chieftain, Jesutega Onokpasa Dies at 49Sallah Break: Tinubu Finally Departs Lagos State For Abuja, Resumes WorkFalana Warns Wike: Your Ignorance of Diplomatic Rules 'll Cause Crisis for Nigeria Over Grant RentTrump’s Administration Reverses Self, Directs Embassies to Process Harvard Students VisasA New Dawn for Rivers StateKenya Plans to Launch Crude Oil Exports in 2026Maryam Abacha Drops Jabs At Gen Abdulsalami, Says Billions Stolen After Abacha’s DeathTinubu: Presidency Replies Peter Obi, Says He Is Blind To RealitiesHow Boko Haram Attacked Ex-COAS Buratai's Convoy, Escapes Death In Borno --- Reveals Ndume
X whatsapp