A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mrs Beatrice Nkwuda, has criticised Governor Dave Umahi’s endorsement of Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, as his successor.
Nkwuda stated this at a news conference on Thursday in Abakaliki.
She believes Umahi’s endorsement has triggered political war in Ebonyi, saying that at every junction, people talk about it with anger.
The former Special Adviser to erstwhile Ebonyi Gov. Martin Elechi, was reacting to the recent endorsement of Nwifuru, one of the gubernatorial aspirants in Ebonyi.
Nkwuda expressed dismay that the State had been embroiled in communal and inter-communal rivalries that had led to killings and destruction of property.
Nkwuda said, “With the endorsement, the governor has shut the political space against other aspirants.
“Women in particular had believed what he said that he wouldn’t interfere in the process of selecting who would succeed him, would be neutral and allow everybody to participate in the election.
“But with the announcement, he has heated up the polity and the endorsement has generated negative reactions and condemnation in every part of the State.
“Every junction, every eatery that you go to, people talk about it with anger because people are worried.
“We are tired of war here and there in the State; we’ve had communal wars in various parts of the state and now he wants to trigger a political war with the endorsement.
“I know Ebonyi people do not want war and we don’t want it and we will keep saying we don’t want war.”
She added, “APC is a party that believes in everybody, show your interest, show how popular you are, but now the Governor wants to close the space.
“We are shouting it even from the rooftops that we do not believe in his pronouncement.
“Whoever wants to contest for that position of Governor as far as the person is qualified and he or she is Ebonyi indigene is free to contest.
“The Governor should show maturity in the game of politics and governance, one man cannot close the ambition of Ebonyi people,” she said.