Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State on Tuesday told the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party that he will be dumping the party for the All Progressives Congress.
Umahi in his statement noted that he would be defecting to the ruling party to protect the interest of the South-East in the 2023 elections.
According to Punch, the Ebonyi State Governor noted that his decision to dump PDP for the APC is concluded.
It was also reported that the National Chairman of the party and others tried to persuade him not to dump the party.
Apart from Secondus, among those that were at the meeting at the Ebonyi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja were Deputy National Secretary, Agbo Emmanuel; National Organising Secretary, Austin Akobondu; Financial Secretary, Abdullahi Maibasira; National Women Leader, Mariya Waziri and Senator Sulieman Nazif.
The PDP delegation tried to persuade Umahi that there is no need for him to leave for APC which has not presence in the region.
Sources at the meeting disclosed that Umahi was not moved as he insisted that APC is planning to zone the 2023 Presidency to the South-East.
Umahi had promised to stay in PDP if the party zone the presidency to the South-East in 2023.
One of the sources said, “I think his (governor’s) mind was made up. We told him there was no need for him to abandon the party that had made him a deputy governor, state chairman of the party, two-time governor and all that. But he refused.”
“He wanted us to unilaterally zone the office of the Presidency to his area. We cannot do that. Parties are not run that way. He told us he was leaving. That is what we got from him.’’
Secondus confirmed that the meeting was held but failed to disclose the details of the meeting, insisting that the meeting was on ‘‘national issues.’’
