I don’t have to insult Buhari to show that I’m a PDP member, says Ebonyi gov

David Umahi, Ebonyi governor, says he does not have to insult President Muhammadu Buhari to prove that he’s a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Umahi said this on Friday in Abakaliki during the quarterly media chat/dinner to mark the nation’s 58th anniversary and 22nd year of the state’s creation.

The governor said the state government would name the one and half kilometres glass tunnel it is constructing after Buhari.

Umahi said his relationship with Buhari is beyond politics.

“I want to state that aside my wife, Buhari remains my only boss and should be respected by Nigerians because of his status as the president,” he said.

“Buhari, as the president, is the symbol of the country just as the governors are mini-presidents in their respective states.

“The fact is that as a human being, he might not be doing everything correctly, but the citizens owe him prayers and understanding to lead the country aright.

“I have said repeatedly that I don’t have to insult him to show that I am a PDP member and it is not my duty as a governor to insult the president.

“This does not mean that I do not identify with the ideals of the PDP, but it must be stated that those who say they are supporting Buhari in Ebonyi are only deceiving the people.”

The governor said the opposition in the state was only interested in his job and not genuinely supporting the president.

He said: “The northern senatorial zone of the state produced a governor who served for eight years; the central zone did the same and the southern zone where I hail from should be allowed to complete its eight-year tenure.

“This is the tripod on which the state’s equity rests and even though a sitting governor wanted to truncate it, God brought a David in my person to ensure it was maintained and it will be maintained till the end.”

Umahi urged Nigerians to realise that power comes from God and to check the brazen quest for political offices which has brought several problems to the country.

“Politicking has recklessly taken the centre stage in the nation’s affairs and if such is not checked for the next four years, it would be difficult for the country to handle its consequences,” he said.