Francis Nwaze
The headline that has recently sold several papers in millions has been: “Umahi PDP, PDP Umahi; Umahi APC, APC Umahi.” Many have held firm that the governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, FNSE, FNATE, is somewhat playing double standard with PDP and APC. I have held myself from wasting my time reacting to such unfounded rumours from naysayers who don’t understand the workings of a political party and its allegiance but I am prompted to set some records straight.
Testimonies of Governor Umahi’s steadfastness and commitment towards the building of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State and Nigeria in general have continued to resonate, even as jobless fault-finders kept on searching for loopholes to penetrate into. These fault-finders are sponsored agents of power-hungry politicians and political desperados whose core job is to mislead the general public with false/twisted information. They ensure the twisting of every statement from Governor Umahi to give him a bad image before the masses without recourse to the fact that Umahi has paid his dues and cannot be merely dragged in the mud by fabricating lies on the pages of newspapers, as his developmental strides speak louder than any failed mission.
For the record: Governor Umahi was a successful businessman/contractor before going into politics as the PDP acting chairman in 2007. His outstanding leadership led to his subsequent conferment as the party’s chairman in 2009-2011 before his nomination by the then governor, Chief Martin Elechi, as his Deputy between 2011 and 2014, before he contested under the PDP, which campaign was coordinated by the Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation against the will of godfathers, and victoriously won the election in 2015.
Since then and as I write, Umahi has remained in PDP even before becoming the party’s state chairman and is firmly still in the party with no exit plan in sight.
The problem: Governor Umahi was brought up in a Christian home in Uburu, Ohaozara LGA, Ebonyi State, and was taught how not to disrespect and/or abuse elders/leaders. Umahi has also refused to play politics with his personal relationship with anyone.
For Governor Umahi, politics starts few weeks to election time and ends immediately after the election day after which the next should be work, work to serve those that have enthroned him.
This style of politics has made him relate freely with everyone without party affiliation, while permanently placing political neophytes to keep wondering and bamboozled.
To further confirm the political style of Governor Umahi, President Muhammadu Buhari, while addressing traditional rulers during his visit in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, for his second term campaign, reiterated that Umahi never talked about party and politics on their several meetings but has always focused on how Ebonyi and Igboland will be developed.
The same was corroborated by Chief Audu Ogbeh during his time as the Minister of Agriculture in December 2018 when commissioning a fertilizer blending plant in Ebonyi. The former minister stated that Umahi understood politics as he did not talk party except how to develop Ebonyi.
He further recommended a brand like Umahi for presidency, remarking he represented the kind of president desired for the continued economic emancipation of Nigeria.
Few important points to note:
1. Among all the governors in PDP, Umahi delivered Ebonyi 100% to PDP, presidential, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly inclusive in the 2015 elections and did same in the just concluded 2019 elections.
2. Okowa/Umahi headed the committee that delivered the most transparent party congress, which birthed Atiku/Obi as the party standard-bearer in the 2019 PDP congress.
3. Umahi, during his time as a party chairman, built the biggest and most beautiful party secretariat across the country. The elegant and finely furnished structure is still standing firm for the party in Ebonyi State.
4. Governor Umahi has remained a true partyman, from his time as party chairman to his time as Deputy Governor and throughout his first tenure as Governor and he is still a true PDP man even till tomorrow.
5. During his time as a Deputy Governor, many stakeholders decamped to Labour party but he held the party strong in Ebonyi, he delivered the party and emerged the Governor.
6. Governor Umahi has dutifully and honestly delivered on several national assignments of the party.
Having read the above, I may be tempted to ask, who is more PDP than Umahi?
Conclusively, paid journalists have attempted to gag Governor Umahi and ensure he never jokes while making speeches, a character of Umahi that gives him joy. They have attempted to stop him from relating with people he knew long before party matters came up but, interestingly, all their efforts on the pages of newspapers are efforts in futility.
If Umahi has interest in decamping to any political party other than PDP, he will snap his fingers and make it happen, but when a king is resting in his palace and passersby are insinuating that he is not at home, he simply laughs and says, what a joke.
Governor Umahi is PDP. He has paid his dues as a true partyman and has no intention to quit the party.
If they bring you any fake story about Umahi and PDP, discard it and keep to your front as Governor David Nweze Umahi dey kampe in PDP.
•Nwaze is Special
Assistant to Ebonyi State
Governor on Media