Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi has asked all presidential aspirants to understand that power is given and not taken.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on Tuesday, after a thank-you visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Umahi said the entire country supported the South West in 1999.
He wondered why fairness and equity cannot play out in the South East’s quest for the 2023 presidency.
“We have to understand our history.
"In 1999, the entire North lined up behind Ekwueme, a man from (the) South East to clinch the ticket of PDP for presidency, but because of June 12 there was a very high-level meeting of the stakeholders of this country and they came together and said ‘let’s pacify the South West’, and power was given, was it taken? It was given.
“And then Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had the ticket of, is it APP that time. The same discussion held and they said, ‘let’s give it to Olu Falae’.
“At that 1999, it was reserved for the entire South West, and so we’re not blackmailing the… you know,” he said.
South East not Blackmailing any Region
The Ebonyi State governor said the South East is not blackmailing any region for the nation’s top job, contrary to some insinuations.
“In fact, the South East is not even making noise, compared to the kind of intense campaign by the South West and the South-South brothers.
“So, it shouldn’t come to our turn and they say power is taken. Taken from who?” he asked.
Governor Umahi also thanked President Buhari for visiting Ebonyi to commission people-oriented projects.
