From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi Governor, David Umahi, yesterday, said his successor must come from the northern senatorial district of the state in 2023.
Umahi is backing the House of Assembly Speaker, Francis Nwifuru, who is from Ebonyi North senatorial district, to take over from him on May 29, 2023.
Nwifuru is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, former secretary to the state government, Benard Odoh ( All Progressives Grand Alliance), from Ebonyi Central, and a wealthy businessman, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii (Peoples Democratic Party), from Ebonyi South are also contesting to succeed him.
But speaking, yesterday, at the Government House chapel, Abakaliki, Umahi said he became governor on the basis of equity, fairness and justice, adding that justice demands that power returns to the North where it started in 1999.
He commended the people for their interest in registering to vote in the forthcoming elections.
“Let me thank Ebonyi people very deeply for our permanent voters’ cards (PVCs), I was very excited to find out that in the PVCs’ registration, we came 8th, if it is transparency, Ebonyi is coming first, if it is in financial sustainability, Ebonyi is coming first, God is doing great for Ebonyi people.
“It is not about us, it is about God’s plans for Ebonyi State, we still have two weeks, we can come back to number five, we can come back to number one.
“I have no problems about our elections, it is equity and justice and divine mandate that brought us, what is just and normal is that this thing should start from the North again.
“If you are from South and you are contemplating that after the South, another southern person will take over, it is not just, we will start all over under divine mandate,” he said.