Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has broken his silence after failing to clinch the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the just-concluded primary election that was held at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
He berated the South East Zone’s delegates to the presidential primary, insisting that they “traded” their votes.
Umahi made the declaration on Saturday at his hometown, Uburu, during the maiden matriculation ceremony of the King David University of Medical Sciences.
The governor said that no one should henceforth complain of marginalisation of the Igbos due to the delegates’ conduct.
He said:
“I had a series of meetings with the party’s chairmen in the five states of the zone in the company of its national vice chairman.
“I implored on the delegates that the issue was not about me but the mood of the Igbos in the nation.
“I implored that they should vote for any south east aspirant so that when the votes are counted, we would not be missing.
“We would have made a strong statement in the process that the Igbos are eminently qualified with due capacity to lead the country,” he said.
He regretted that conversely, the delegates ‘traded” their votes while only those from Ebonyi voted for him and others.
“They will come later to preach about Igbo unity and its agenda but henceforth, the only agenda I know is the Ebonyi agenda.
“This shows that even if we have equal number of local government areas and delegates such as other zones, we would still trade our votes.
“We are currently regarded as people who can sell anything but they should remember that anyone who betrays his brother will lose the trust of those who gained from the betrayal.
“There was no sort of lobbying I did not receive but I maintained that it was about bringing the marginalisation of the Igbos to the fore.”
Umahi was full of praises for the delegates from Ebonyi State for their trust and steadfastness, stressing that other people would soon realise that money is not everything.
