Ebonyi state Governor, Chief David Umahi and the member Representing Ohanaivo Federal Constituency, Hon Linus Okorie have disagreed over the alleged damage of billboard of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The billboard mounted at the campaign office of Atiku/Obi support group along Mile 50 road Abakaliki was alleged to have been attacked by unknown hoodlums on Friday with the giant billboards destroyed. The support group under the auspices of Friends of Atiku is Cordinated in the state by Mr Okorie.
Governor Umahi during the swearing in of newly appointed State Executive Council members said that the Atiku /Obi campaign billboard destroyed in Abakaliki was masterminded by members of the same support who he said have been seeking for attention and recognition from the PDP presidential candidate.
He noted that no billboard belonging to any presidential candidate that littered the state capital has ever been destroyed and wondered why that of Atiku would be the target adding that false alarm was purely for cheap political relevance and to draw attention to the group.
Governor Umahi however emphasised that the State remained a PDP state, and would gain nothing destroying the opposition party billboards let alone destroying that which belongs to its own presidential candidate.
“A lot of us sit and complain nothing is coming, what do you want to come? God says no food for lazy man. I read on online about a support group that their bill board was destroyed, and I know the character behind the installation of the billboard because he is not getting enough attention he has to destroy it to get necessary attention”.
“And for me it is ingenuity, I have told my people instead of sitting down and doing nothing, destroy something and start fixing it back. So the guy has no work, no attention Ebonyi state is united under Divine Mandate.
“So, the guy out of ingenuity he and evil genius that he destroyed it. Nobody is destroying Atiku billboard in this state, nobody is destroying the President billboard we are very confortable under the Divine Mandate platform”.
The Governor during the function swore in, Dr Kenneth Ugbala who initially was his Senior Special Adviser on Internal Security as a Commissioner of Internal Security and Boarder Peace while Mr Ogbonnaya Chukwu, former Senior Special Adviser on Investment was sworn in as Commissioner for Budget,Planning and Research.
Also sworn in are Dr Stephanie Ekuma Nkama who was cornfirmed Special Adviser to the Governor attached to office the Governor’s wife and Engr. Felix Otta Special Adviser to the Governor on project monitoring.
But in a swift reaction, the Ebonyi state Coordinator of Friends of Atiku, (FOA) and member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal constituency in the National Assembly, Hon Linus Abaa Okorie, described the comments credited to the governor as most uncharitable and unexpected of a man occupying the exalted office of the governor.
Read Also:
He stated that the governor knows that he didn’t need such cheap tricks to be popular in a state he has been a major stakeholder and player in the past 20 years even as he played a major role to make him governor in 2015.
Okorie expressed shock that the governor did not condemn the destruction of billboards of the Presidential candidate of his party in his state but chose to capitalise on the incident to launch underserved attack on him.
He however said he was happy that the governor has for the first time mentioned the name of the PDP presidential candidate and called on the governor and indeed all stakeholders in the state to team up with Friends of Atiku in the state to deliver the PDP candidate and his running mate come February 16 .
“I was convinced that the governor was misquoted when I read a line where he was quoted as saying that I destroyed the billboards just to draw attention to myself and my activities in the State. This is most uncharitable and unexpected from the occupant of the exalted office of a governor and who knows me too well and fully aware that I don’t need such cheap tricks to be popular in a State I have been a major stakeholder and player in the past 20 years.
“Neither do I need to destroy my own campaign materials to gain the governor’s attention when indeed my role in his 2015 governorship ascension are well known to all Ebonyians and remain indelible. I am deeply concerned that the governor did not condemn the unwarranted destructive attack on the campaign office of the Presidential candidate of his party, but instead chose to use the opportunity of the incident to launch such an obnoxious attack on me. May it not be that the further attacks said to be planned against the office are still afoot”.
“I am, however, satisfied that the governor has finally spoken on the matter and publicly commented on the candidacy of our Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I now passionately appeal to him and all stakeholders of our party, the PDP in the State, to join the Friends of Atiku in intensifying efforts to deliver our candidate come February 16, 2019. I am also looking forward to seeing the governor’s Divine Mandate campaign vehicles and materials branded with the images of Atiku and Obi.
“What is most gratifying is that Ebonyians are determined to massively vote the Atiku/Obi ticket irrespective of any intrigues and high wire politicking”
Mr Okorie, a two term member of the House of Representatives represents Umahi’s Ohaozara/ Onicha/Ivo constituency in the house of Representative.
Okorie’s outburst however may not be unconnected to his displeasure and greviance having lost out in the PDP National Assembly primaries following the zoning arrangement in the state. Okorie during the party’s primary election last year lost out to the political son of the Former Senate President, Senator Anyim Puis Anyim, Mr. Mark Makwe.
Since then a cold war has been simmering between the governor and the lawmaker which now is threatening to torpedo the chances of the party to clinch victory in the elections as the All Progressive Congress, APC, seems to be capitalising on the cold war to make inroads in the constituency.
