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CONSENSUS: Umahi abandons own ambition, roots for candidate northern govs already reject

Published

4 years ago

June 5, 2022

Editor

Presidential aspirant and Ebonyi Gov. Dave Umahi has reaffirmed his support to the President of the Senate, Sen. Ahmad Lawan, for the 2023 presidential election.

A series of developments Saturday evening revealed how 11 APC governors from the north insisted officially the south should get the presidential ticket, asking Lawan and other northern aspirant to quit it.

Umahi, however, drummed support for Lawan on Saturday in his Abuja residence, when he hosted the senate president.

A statement from Lawan’s media team, signed by Danladi Bako, said Umahi restated his commitment to support Lawan’s quest to emerge as the APC presidential candidate at the primaries scheduled for June 6 to 8.

Umahi extolled the virtues of humility, teamwork, intelligence and unalloyed party loyalty demonstrated by Lawan.

He also recounted how President Muhammadu Buhari spoke glowingly about Lawan during his recent two-day visit to Ebonyi State to inaugurate projects executed by Umahi.

“I pray you get the ticket if I don’t get it, because, you are eminently qualified to be President of Nigeria,” Umahi said.

Lawan had earlier said the purpose of his visit was to seek Umahi’s collaboration and cooperation in furtherance of their individual intentions to clinch the ticket.

Lawan praised Umahi’s execution of infrastructural projects within the last seven years, “which now makes Ebonyi an epicentre of beauty and development despite the lean resources accruing to the state.

“Indeed, Gov. Umahi worked assiduosly for me to emerge as Senate President in 2019, despite being in the opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party,” Lawan noted.

The duo reinforced the need to support Buhari in whatever decision he makes on the issue of selecting a candidate capable of winning the general elections, as well as keeping the party united and focussed.

Lawan was accompanied on the visit by Senators Sani Musa and Barau Jibrin, as well as the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, among other APC cheiftains