2023: We Are Fighting Ourselves – Ezeife Replies Umahi Over Comment On Peter Obi

An elder statesman and former Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has reacted to a comment credited to Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi where he said the state would not support Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi in the coming election.

Naija News understands that a report had gone viral earlier quoting Umahi as saying that citizens of his state would not vote for the former Governor of Anambra in the 2023 presidential election but would rather support the candidacy of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Umahi was said to have made the claims while addressing political leaders, traditional rulers and the Christian Association of Nigeria among other stakeholders of the state during the swearing-in of five commissioners, the state head of service, HOS, which had taken place at the new government house in Abakaliki.

Governor Umahi had though given clarification to the statement. He said through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze, that he was only reiterating his earlier promise to support Tinubu.

Expressing worries about the comment, Ezeife who was live on Arise News Television on Wednesday, warned Umahi to withdraw his statement.

He said: “We are fighting ourselves in Nigeria. God designed us to lead the blacks and we are about to begin that job.

“Now that change is coming, let us not be clannish about it. I think the time has come for melting. Let Nigeria take the advantage and let Yoruba and Igbo work together.

“I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to pray because sometimes we spoil the good things God has planned for us with our bad mouth.

“We are arrogant to the extreme. A change is coming to Nigeria and let nobody block it through arrogant propaganda.

“We need people who will think away from ethnicity. There is comprehensive corruption everywhere. Now we say we want Igbo president, but no delegate from other states voted for aspirants from the South-East because of money.”