Governor Umahi offers to lend APC supporters when Buhari visits Ebonyi just to fill the stadium

GOVERNOR David Umahi of Ebonyi State has chided the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) saying the party failed to mobilise their members for President Muhammadu Buhari's recent visit to Enugu State indicating that it was very weak across the southeast.

 

Over the last few weeks, Nigeria's presidential candidates have stepped up their campaigns with both President Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensifying their visits to numerous states. Earlier this week, President Buhari visited Enugu State but according to Governor Umahi, he was only greeted by a scant crowd due to the unpopularity of the APC in Enugu State and the southeast geo-political zone in general.

 

Speaking at Ugbodo, the council headquarters of Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state while addressing PDP supporters at a rally, Governor Umahi said that President Buhari was embarrassed as a result of the empty stadium. However, he jokingly reiterated his readiness to lend 2,000 members of his party the PDP, to the APC to enable the party receive the president, who is billed to visit Ebonyi State on Wednesday next week.

 

Governor Umahi explained that it would be embarrassing for the president to come to Ebonyi State without people to receive him, since the APC supporters in the state are not up to 1,000 members. He pointed out, however, that he will allow President Buhari to make use of the state stadium now known as Pa Ngele Oruta township stadium.

 

Governor Umahi said: “On Wednesday, Mr President is coming to Ebonyi and we shall accord him all necessary courtesy as a president and our friend. To honour him, we will shift our rallies to three senatorial zones and allow them to make use of the township stadium.

 

“You know, these people, the ruminants of the house of Saul, in totality, they are not up to 1,000. So, I am going to borrow them some people, so please, don’t say no, just for people to be at the stadium."

 

President Buhari is not popular across the southeast geo-political zones because his administration is seen as one that marginalises Igbos in terms of appointments and federal projects. President Buhari once famously said that parts of the country that only gave him 5% of the vote, so should not expect the same treatment from him as those who gave him 97% support.

 

Governor Umahi added: “We will not allow the president to come here without our people receiving him. We have identified the people that people that will go there, so, if you see your people there don’t be angry. I am also going to help them with buses to bring people from Enugu and Abia states to make our state tick.”

 

Despite this, the governor also appealed to the people to vote for the PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Peter Obi. he called on them to also vote for all the other PDP candidates in the upcoming elections in the state.

 

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