‘We won’t join you in APC’ — Ebonyi lawmakers tackle Umahi over defection

The Ebonyi caucus of the national assembly has distanced itself from the defection of David Umahi, Ebonyi governor, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Sam Egwu, senator representing Ebonyi north, said no member of the national assembly from the state is defecting to the APC.

All the members of the Ebonyi caucus — three senators and five house of representatives members — in the national assembly are members of the PDP.

On Tuesday, Umahi confirmed his defection to the APC from the PDP.

The governor said he left the PDP because of “injustice”, alleging that the party has refused to zone the 2023 presidency to the south-east.

“Not a single member of the PDP Ebonyi caucus of the national assembly is defecting to APC,” Egwu who is a former governor of Ebonyi said.

“The three senators and five house of representatives members remain proud card-carrying members of the PDP, the platform under which we contest and won elections in 2019.”

The senator said the reason Umahi gave for defecting to the APC is “indecent”.

“The major reason given by chief Umahi for defecting from the PDP to the APC is now in the public domain which is that the PDP has not been fair to the people of south-east on the issue of zoning for the presidency and vice-presidency,” he said.

“While we support that it is the turn of the south-east to fly the presidential flag of any of the major political parties come 2023, yet we consider it impolite, indecent and unwise to give ultimatum and conditionality in a bid to secure zoning.

“If there is any Ebonyi person who should remain eternally grateful to the PDP, that individual ought to be the Governor, David Umahi, a man who was appointed the Ebonyi state chairman of the PDP, made deputy governor of the PDP administration and was elected on two terms under the banner of the PDP as governor.

“As democrats, we concede Umahi’s rights to join any association of his choice however as federal Lawmakers we are not unaware of the Supreme Court’s decision that candidates are a product of the political parties.

“What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another particularly when there is no division in their party.”