The outgoing Ebonyi State Governor and senator-elect, David Umahi, has stated that he preferred to be in the Senate to “rest” after eight years as governor than to take up a ministerial position.
Recall that since 2007, the upper legislative chamber of the Nigeria’s National Assembly has become a retirement place for former governors who see the Senate position as an entitlement and place of “hibernation.”
Umahi who spoke on Monday at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke while fielding questions from newsmen, disclosed that he was no longer contesting for the Senate President for the interest of commitment the “President-elect”, Bola Tinubu, had made to Senator Godswill Akpabio.
He said that Tinubu invited him (Umahi) for discussion on the race for the 10th Senate’s presidency, and he had to accede to his request in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the South-East zone.
Umahi who stated that Senators-elect from South East had never adopted Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for the Senate Presidency position, insisted that the zone could no longer continue to be in the opposition.
According to Vanguard, the governor said, “I discussed the issue with him when he was in Paris and on return to the country, he invited me.
“It was an honour to be invited by the president-elect and he told me that he had made commitments.
“It is his right as the president-elect to make commitments and anyone running for such office makes promises. I did not want to be a clog in the wheel of his progress so I accepted.
“We cannot continue opposing everything as politics is all about dialogue, give and take. What could have happened if I said no and considering our efforts to promote the APC in the zone, we will get a tangible position,” he said.
He added, “I am the chairman of the Akpabio campaign council and I can tell you that we have more APC senators on our side. I will accept whatever God wills for me but as a person, I will prefer to be in the Senate to rest. I will however, have no choice if it is the sacrifice to make in the interest of the party, South-East and to help the president-elect.”
