Members of the Ebonyi State caucus of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the National Assembly have disowned the state governor, David Umahi, over his defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The caucus, comprising the three senators and five members of the House of Representatives, told journalists at a press conference held at the National Assembly in Abuja that they remain in the PDP, saying though the governor has the rights to join any political association of his choice, they reminded him of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of their political parties.
Speaking through their leader and former governor of the state, Senator Sam Egwu, the lawmakers described the governor’s action as insensitive, unacceptable and selfish.
While the caucus agreed that the Presidency should be zoned to the South-East region in 2023, they argued that political parties should not be compelled to do so.
“For the sake of clarity we wish to state categorically that not single member of the PDP caucus at the National Assembly is defecting to the APC .
“The three Senators and five House of Representatives members remain proud card carrying memebers of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) the platform under which we contested and won elections in 2019.
“The major reason given by Umahi for defecting from the PDP to the APC is now in public domain which is that the PDP has not been fair to the people of the South-East and the issue of zoning the Presidency and Vice Presidency.
“While we support that it is then turn of the South-East to fly the Presidential flag of any of the Presidential flag of the major political parties come 2023 , yet we consider it indecent and unwise to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning.
“Indeed if there is any person who should remain eternally grateful to the PDP, that individual ought to be the Governor David Umahi, a man who was appointed the state chairman of the PDP , made deputy governor of the PDP administration and was elected for two terms under the banner of the PDP as governor, his younger brothers were elected to principal officers of the PDP, one Austin Umahi as the South-East zonal chairman of the PDP and another, Mr. Maxwell Umahi as the deputy state chairman of the PDP .
“As democrats, we concede Chief Umahi’s rights to join any political association of his choice, however as federal lawmakers, we are not unaware of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of their political parties.
What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another, especially when there is no division in their party .
“We wish to use this opportunity to thank the leadership of our great party, the PDP for their prompt action in dissolving the wards, local government, state and zonal structures of the party in Ebonyi State and the announcement of state caretaker team.
“We also wish to the teaming members and supporters in our various constituencies who have remained undaunted to be committed to their membership of the PDP. We also wish to thank the South-East caucus and indeed the entire PDP family of the National Assembly,” Senator Egwu stressed.
