By Abia Onyike, Political Editor
The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State Chapter on Tuesday berated the former Governor, David Umahi for claiming to have a right in producing the next Senator of Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, after dumping the seat for a Ministeral position.
Daily Sentinel reports that Umahi had, during a courtesy visit to Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, a day after he was declared winner by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, claimed that it is his right to produce his successor.
The State Chairman of PDP, Mr. Augustine Nwazunku, in a statement signed and issued to newsmen in Abakaliki, said it’s anti-democratic for the works Minister, Umahi to insist on being the one to produce the zone’s senator after dumping the position without due consultation.
Nwazunku insisted that Umahi was controversially elected into the Senate, and should not lay claim to being the one to produce his successor, adding that he (Umahi) unilaterally abandoned the seat without consultation with his constituents. It ” is extremely preposterous for 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” he said.
He however, urged the former Governor David Umahi to know that the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal on the petitions brought against him by his opponents, Senator Mike Nnachi of the PDP and Linus Okorie of the Labour Party, LP, which was ruled in his favour was not the final judgement.
The PDP Chairman, Nwazunku noted further that both Nnachi and Okorie have signalled their interests to appeal the Tribunal judgement, adding that “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.
He continued: “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” he stated
Nwazunku cautioned Umahi to shun the attempt of handpicking or imposing anybody of his choice, including his blood brother, Austin Umahi as the representatives of Ebonyi South zone.
He however, called on Umahi to 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 surreptitiously abandoned the controversial mandate he initially latched onto.
