Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Sunday, reiterated that in the interest of peace, fair play and justice, the Ebonyi North zone must be allowed to produce the next governor of the state.
Umahi, who went down memory lane to explain that the North had enjoyed the governorship position for eight years, the Central eight and the South which will soon conclude its turn, said that power must return to the North zone in the aforesaid order.
Umahi stated this during a Thanksgiving Service at the New Government House Chapel, Abakaliki, on Sunday.
He further explained that Ebonyi people should play down on party politics, restating that the development recorded by his administration was not facilitated by the Federal Government.
Umahi said, “And let me tell you, don’t get in tangled with party politics, worry not yourself about this, this!!! Stick to the tickets you are holding. This state was never developed by the centre, it was developed by us, it was developed by us. Don’t worry about any party or this thing, stick to the ticket we have. That’s where God wants us to be and it is from that platform that we advance the cause of this state.
“Remember, no man gave us any chance. They will never give us a chance, we have to impose ourselves on them and that’s what we have been doing. If they said we should not be heard, they are the ones that have to hear us. Even if they share something down this side, they will take it from us but through the supernatural power of God, we have imposed ourselves.
“They have reluctantly come to recognize us and we have to take it to another level. The party we know is the ticket we are holding. You must know that no one developed this state for us; the political party, the centre did not. We are the ones through the power of God that developed this state.
“So, don’t engage on party something. Always look forward to what you have and Ebonyi will be interested in what we have, very important. We are not against any party, we are not against anybody but a bird at hand worth ten in the bush.”
He added, “I have no problems with our elections, this is one family and when the time comes, you will go round and let our people know and I continue to maintain that Ebonyi State is very lucky. For those who tried to twart justice and equity; when the North had done their eight years, the central did their eight years and it was the time for the south, some elders from the south joined people from the Abakaliki bloc to deny that justice that south should not get it.
“And so, it is equity and justice and Divine Mandate that brought us and so, that journey has begun again and so, what is just and normal for the peace of the state is that this thing must start from the North again, that’s the only way we can have peace. When the North finishes, the central will take and after the central, the south will take and I continue to remind those of the south that the two senatorial zones in the Abakaliki bloc, that they are Umuekumenyi, don’t go to struggle for their rights with them, it is their turn, it is their rights.
“So, if you are from the south and you are contemplating that after a south person has finished, another south person will come on board, it is evil and it is criminality and you will be joking with the future of our children because if the two zones in Umuekumenyi decide to keep the governorship without coming to the south, they can do it like it is happening in Benue State, so, you must be wise and this is very important; justice, equity and fairness because we came on the platform of equity, fairness and Divine Mandate. So, we will start all over again with this Divine Mandate. So, the platform is not changing, it continues to be Divine Mandate.”