The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has taken a swipe at the immediate past governor, David Umahi for saying he has the right to produce the next senator of Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, after he gave up the seat for his ministerial appointment.
Recall that Umahi, during a courtesy visit to the state governor, Francis Nwifuru claimed that he had every right to produce his successor.
Reacting to Umahi’s submission, the State Chairman of PDP, Nwazunku Augustine, in a statement signed and issued to newsmen in Abakaliki, said that it’s anti-democratic for Umahi, to insist on being the one to produce the zone’s senator after dumping the position without due consultation.
Nwazunku argued that the former governor was controversially elected into the senate and had no right to produce a successor.
He noted that Umahi abandoned his position without consulting with his constituents.
The PDP chairman warned Umahi that the judgement of the tribunal on the petitions brought against him by his opponents; Senator Mike Nnachi of the PDP and Linus Okorie of the Labour Party (LP), that was ruled in his favour was not the final judgement.
Nwazunku noted that both Nnachi and Okorie have signalled their interest in appealing the judgement.
He said, “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.
“For Umahi to have jumped the gun by piling 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.”
