Ebonyi Governor David Umahi said some PDP governors are not in sync with the agreement of the region producing the next president despite the southern governors’ resolution.
Umahi who left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2020, had recently given his take on the 2023 presidency zoning controversy in the opposition party.
For courting PDP’s anger, the party in a statement issued on Saturday, C.I.D Maduabum, director-general of PDP-GF, advised Umahi to leave the PDP alone and “face his frustrations” in the APC.
The statement reads: “We advise Governor Umahi to face his frustrations in APC and not drag PDP and her governors into it. PDP is an independent political party with workable structures and methods of doing things. It’s not an appendage of the APC or indeed any other association or group.
“The PDP will take its decision on the issue of zoning political offices at the appropriate time. Even the APC has not taken any decision yet on zoning. Different groups and interests are advancing arguments to defend their positions as is required in a democracy. At the end of the day, decisions will be taken by each political party.
“Governor Umahi left PDP for APC, according to him, because of the love he has for President Buhari, among other flimsy reasons, irrespective of the maladministration and daily incidents of destruction of lives and properties currently going on in Ebonyi State and the entire country under the watch of APC.
“Governor Umahi sabotaged the PDP in 2019 elections in his quest to deliver 25 per cent to his APC benefactors. It took the determined resistance of Ebonyi people to checkmate him. It was good riddance that he subsequently left PDP for APC instead of continuing his role as an APC mole.
“The PDP is single-minded in its resolve to boot out the APC in 2023 and would craft strategies to achieve same in the national interest as APC currently represents an existential threat to Nigeria’s democracy and its survival. Indeed all Nigerians have a duty and responsibility to end this long nightmare of APC misrule.”
Maduabum said the PDP is determined to regain power from the APC in the national interest and survival of Nigeria’s democracy.
It is known that Umahi who is not in sync with PDP reiterated that state the state is not in support of Rivers, Lagos and other states in their moves to collect Value Added Tax (VAT), adding “Evil will continue to thrive if good people keep quiet.”
He said, “We must make Ebonyi State very exceptional by rising to the challenges. When we shout true federalism, I say, I agree; but it should be administrative restructuring.’’