A former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has urged Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi to withdraw the statement he made in which he said that Ebonyi people will not vote for Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, during the 2023 general elections.
Reports emerged on Monday alleging that Umahi had said Ebonyi would not vote for Obi, claiming that Ebonyi is for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Umahi was said to have stated this while addressing political leaders, traditional rulers, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, among other stakeholders of the state, during the swearing-in of five commissioners, the state head of service, HOS, which had taken place at the new government house in Abakaliki.
But Umahi, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze, said he was only reiterating his earlier promise to support the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
However, speaking in an Arise News Television interview, Ezeife warned against such a stance at a time the country needed a change, adding that nobody should block it through arrogant propaganda.
According to him: “We are fighting ourselves in Nigeria. God designed us to lead the blacks and we are about to begin that job.
“Now that change is coming, let us not be clannish about it. I think the time has come for melting. Let Nigeria take the advantage and let Yoruba and Igbo work together.
“I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to pray because sometimes we spoil the good things God has planned for us with our bad mouth.
“We are arrogant to the extreme. A change is coming to Nigeria and let nobody block it through arrogant propaganda.
“We need people who will think away from ethnicity. There is comprehensive corruption everywhere. Now we say we want Igbo president, but no delegate from other states voted for aspirants from the South-East because of money.”
