Open-secret style of Umahi’s defection to APC

Until last Tuesday, Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was still in the realm of conjecture.

In this report by AMARACHUKWU EGWUAGHA in Abakaliki, despite the secrecy in which the preparations were wrapped, the governor’s body language made it so palpable that many Nigerians saw it coming before his press briefing on Tuesday.

Ever since the clamour for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction began, Chief David Umahi as well as other notable individuals from the Southeast were among the people being tipped for the position.

Though this agitation for the Southeast to produce the president is gathering momentum amongst the Igbos and their sympathisers from other ethnic groups in the country, Governor David Umahi’s body language clearly shows that he had begun early preparation to ensure the clamour comes to pass and that when it comes, he would be the man best suited for the job.

Apart from being a two term governor in his state on the platform of the PDP, Umahi had used every opportunity to prove that his popularity cuts across party lines.

Every opportunity that came, the Ebonyi state governor used it to romance with President Muhammadu Buhari as well as his APC colleagues in the Governors’ Forum.

Those who are close to the Ebonyi governor said they expected him to have moved before now being one of the earliest governors in the country to invite President Buhari to his state.

They argued that the governor was biding time when he did not move from the PDP to the APC in his first tenure as governor.

But the opportunity came when the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus early October announced that his party is yet to zone the presidential ticket to any zone, a statement that was interpreted by many Igbos to mean that the party was planning to zone the number one position back to the North.

This singular statement was not taken lightly amongst many Igbos, especially of the PDP stock and it is believed to have triggered angst against the top echelon of the major opposition party, PDP. Even the Igbo pan socio-cultural group, the Ohanaeze kicked.

Consequently, it formed one of the major reasons Governor Umahi seriously sought to dump the PDP, the platform that brought him to limelight in politics for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umahi’s plan to cross-carpet to APC was, however, largely in the realm of the conjecture because no official statement was made to that effect in Ebonyi state, until Tuesday when he cleared the air on the matter. Before then so much had happened underground including picking APC’s membership card in his ward.

The road to Umahi’s defection

It all started with the seven-day ultimatum given to the National working Committee (NWC) of PDP by the State Assembly and PDP, Ebonyi state chapter to zone the 2023 presidency to Southeast.

The statements from both institutions read the same thing; the difference was the letter-headed papers and signatories.

Part of the communiqué read, ”the unity of our beloved country, Nigeria, has always been hinged on the principles of equity, justice and fairness.

It is on such conventional wisdom that the country has striven to grow and develop equally across all her geopolitical zones.

“In furtherance of the above principles, we, wish to draw the attention of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the rightful yearning of our industrious and peace-loving people of the South East Nigeria, that the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 29th May, 2023, be zoned to the South East.

“Since the inception of this democracy, the zone has paid its dues having worked assiduously and massively voted for all the presidential candidates of our great party – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when the people of the South West in the year 1999 and 2003, the people of North West in 2007, the people of South South in 2011 and 2015, the people of the North East in 2019, all contested for Presidency. It is on record that since the inception of democracy in this country, from 1999 till date, the five (5) States of the South East have always delivered the presidential candidates of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), 100 per cent.

Having made the above request, they noted the southeast zone has qualified hands to rule the country, they however gave a specific time for their request to be granted.

“On this note, we are giving our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), 7 days ultimatum to convoke the National Executive Committee of the party and zone the position of the Presidency to Southeast Nigeria”.

After about one month or close to it these institutions gave the mandate, the rumor of Governor Umahi’s defection became visible.

It was first seen on a social platform where the member representing Ezza South/ Ikwo federal constituency , Comrade Chinedu Ogah’s aide posted that Umahi has defected to APC with the federal lawmaker supporting it.

At that time the governor denied it and it became a rumor. Underground works continued.

A day after, the local chapter of the PDP served a similar notice to the party’s national leadership on the quest of the Southeast to take the next shot at President.

The APC anticipated reception for Umahi was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital.

It (communiqué) was read by former Ohaozara Local Government Area Chairman Chaka Nweze.

APC Secretary in the state, John Okochi, said he was aware of discussions between Umahi and the party’s leadership in Abuja.

He said: “I am aware that there are talks between the governor and our headquarters in Abuja. But whether the discussions have been concluded or not is what I cannot say.

I am however very sure that once that is done, the headquarters will formally communicate with the state secretariat notifying us that such a person is coming as a part of us. That will enable us to prepare to welcome him formally.”

When asked if it was true that Umahi had registered as an APC member in his ward, he replied: “If he has, I cannot say categorically.

That is an issue within the ward or his local government which is Ohaozara. For now, the state secretariat is not aware of that.”

The Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji, declined comment on Umahi’s planned defection when contacted.

“We need to really wait till we get to the bridge before we cross. We don’t have to jump the gun. I think it is premature to begin to discuss the issue,” Orji said, adding it was too premature to begin to speculate.

Meanwhile at a meeting, the APC expressed its preparedness to work with the governor, who it said deserved support having done his best to lift the state.

The party also said the governor’s imminent defection will boost the Southeast’s chances of producing Nigeria’s next president in 2023.

The APC stakeholders charged the governor to rally other governors in the region to join the party so as to enable the region take its deserved place in the scheme of things in national politics.

Former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works Senator Julius Ali Ucha described Umahi as a big catch for APC.

Purported defection by LGAs

While most of Umahi’s aides were alleged to be defecting to APC secretly, in other to save their jobs, the chairman of Afikpo North LGA Mrs Obiageri Oko Enyim and members of the council made official their defection to APC, beautified the council headquarters with APC flag.

In a telephone interview, she said the council decided to join APC to support the governor.

According to Mrs Enyim, “you can’t see anything in my office now if not APC, because we are now APC. We are showing solidarity to our workaholic governor, we want to set the pace. The governor has done enough for us, we will do whatever it takes to encourage him because he has done a lot for us, we know when he gets anything wherever he goes, we will be the first beneficiary.

“I will advise all Ebonyians to support him for he has never deceived them, all he promised during his campaign he has done.

What he sees while sitting down I cannot see it standing up, so it is better we follow him”.

Cabinet members resign

Thursday last week, about two commissioners in Umahi’s cabinet resigned their appointments, Hon. Lazarus Ogbe, commissioner for inter state affairs and Mrs Rebecca Ogbuewu, commissioner for women affairs.

Political watchers are of the opinion that more resignation should be expected from appointees of the governor in coming days, though many others have been pledging loyalty to the state government “while making consultations on their political future.”

Ebonyi state Assembly member reacts

The member representing Ezza South Constituency in Ebonyi state House of Assembly, Chris Usulor has said he won’t join Governor David Umahi in his planned defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

According to him, though the governor’s agitation for the next president to come from southeast is germane and justified, such agitations can be done from the PDP and not necessarily from another party.

“Our governor called us and gave us the liberty to make our choice whether to join APC or remain in PDP. There was no compulsion; it was a decision we are to take on our own without any influence.

“But the striking thing there is that the reasons he adduced is something any south easterner should put in his heart. The marginalization of the southeast should be key in our mind.

“The zoning of the president to the southeast should be key in our heart. That is what he is agitating for, that is what all of us are agitating for,” he did.

“That notwithstanding, personally I took a stand that having been in PDP since 1999, I find it difficult to move to another party this time around. I think that agitation, I believe within me, will be done in PDP too,” he said.

“And I strongly believe that with what is happening in Ebonyi state, the leadership of PDP at the national level will think twice to zone the president to the southeast.

“Also the APC will also think twice if they have any plan to zone the position out of southeast. I think all political parties in the country should zone that position to the southeast in the interest of fairness, justice and equity,” he said.

“Defection is constitutional, right to freedom of association. But when you are defecting from one political party to another, you should be able to give people convincing reasons.

Blueprint however gathered that Gov. Umahi was holding a stakeholders meeting in his hometown, Uburu, on Sunday to tighten every loose end ahead of his formal defection to APC today.

Leave a Reply