It observed it was ridiculous for the immediate past governor of the state to come back to insist he will produce his successor at the Red Chamber, having unilaterally ‘abandoned’ the seat in pursuit of his ministerial appointment, without consulting the constituents of Ebonyi South Zone.
The Chairman of the state PDP chapter, Augustine Nwazunku, said in a statement on Wednesday, that Umahi should apologise for making such a sinister utterance.
Umahi was a senator representing the Ebonyi South District until his resignation after being appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.
During a courtesy call to Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru, on September 9, Umahi publicly said, “I have the right to choose who will succeed me.”
But the PDP in a statement, noted, “The attention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State, has been drawn to the sinister statement credited to the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, that he (Umahi) has the right to choose his replacement in the Senate.
“We hereby aver that such a statement from the Minister was utterly unbecoming of a man of his status. Granted that Chief Umahi, who was Governor of Ebonyi State from 2015-2023, was controversially elected into the Senate, which he unilaterally abandoned without consultation with his constituents in Ebonyi South Senatorial District, in pursuit of a ministerial position.
“It is extremely preposterous of him to come back now to offer such a ludicrous and anti-democratic assertion that he should be allowed to choose his successor in the Senate.
“First and foremost, we expected an educated man like Umahi to know that the judgment of the Election Petitions Tribunal on the petitions brought against him by his opponents in the Senatorial elections of February 2023, was not the final decision on his controversial election into the Senate.
“His opponents, Sen. Mike Nnechi (PDP) and Hon. Linus Okorie have signalled their interest to appeal the Tribunal’s judgment. It is only when the legal matters are concluded that the issue of re-run elections or bye-elections would be thrown up, depending on the final outcome of the legal matter. ”
The party accused the minister of abuse of power, adding that it was indicative of his acts of lawlessness.
It stated, “For Umahi to have jumped the gun by pilling up pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence preparations for fresh elections in Ebonyi South Senatorial District is a clear case of impunity and arrogant/reckless abuse of power which further benchmarks Umahi’s usual acts of impudence and lawlessness.
“It is the sovereign right of the people of Ebonyi South Senatorial District to choose those who will represent them at the National Assembly. In the specific case of the current Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Umahi has no powers whatsoever to muscle his way through as he used to do when he was the sitting Governor of Ebonyi State.
“Umahi should concentrate on his job as the Minister of Works under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and remove his hands from issues relating to Ebonyi South Senatorial District after he had abandoned the controversial mandate he initially latched onto.”
