By Ewa Innocent, The Sight News
Abakaliki: In Ebonyi state, twenty six(26) governorship candidates of different political Parties,including three female candidates, have stepped down for governor David Umahi, in support of his second term bid.
In a communique read by their spokesman, Chief Ogbonnaya Okorie of Advanced Allied Party(AAP),the Governorship candidates said they took the decision after a critical appraisal of the activities and achievements of governor David Umahi in less than four years of his administration.
They described his track record in developing the state as very rich and monumental,hence could not afford to constitute a clog in the wheel of progress.
The political Parties whose candidates decamped to the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) include; Advanced Allied Party(AAP), Party(LP), Accord Party( AP), Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN), Action Alliance(AA), Alliance Congress Party of Nigeria(ACPN)and All Blending Party(ABP) among others.
Their words, “We the gubernatorial candidates of the undersigned Political Parties, resolved without compunction or ill will to step down for his Excellency Engr.David Umahi and adopt him as our sole candidate for the office of the governor of Ebonyi state come March,9 gubernatorial elections.
“This is to allow continuity to enable him continue to make the state proud as one of the best in Nigeria.
“Above all, we have decided to collapse all our Party structures to work for the emergence of governor David Umahi,as the governor of Ebonyi state come March 9 gubernatorial elections.
“We are by this development urging our Party supporters to vote en masse for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP),and the governorship candidate, Engr.David Umahi, to enable him finish the good works he is doing”, they noted.
Also, among the decampees are some National Assembly and state Assembly candidates from different Political Parties who said they were moved by the tremendous achievements recorded by governor Umahi in the state.
The Social Democratic Party(SDP) Senatorial candidate of Ebonyi North zone, Chief Absalem Aligwe, who spoke on behalf of others, said they could not afford not to join the moving train, in view of the developmental giant strides of the state governor.
He urged his Party supporters to vote overwhelmingly for the Peoples Democratic Party and the emergence of governor Umahi in the March 9 general elections.
Responding, Governor David Umahi,who commended the actions of the decampees, assured that they will not regret their actions as they will be fully integrated into the PDP family.
The decampees were led by the chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council(IPAC),Ebonyi state chapter,comrade Jennifer Adibe, who stated that 26 out of 34 guber candidates of different political Parties in the state had resolved within themselves to step down for governor David Umahi, in appreciation of his tremendous achievement.
