By CHUKWUEMEKA OPARA

Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has berated the south east zone’s delegates to the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, insisting that they “traded” their votes.

Umahi made the declaration on Saturday at his hometown, Uburu, during the maiden matriculation ceremony of the King David University of Medical Sciences.

The governor who said he was making his first public speech after the primary, said that no one should henceforth complain of marginalisation of the Igbos due to the delegates’ conduct.

“I had a series of meetings with the party’s chairmen in the five states of the zone in the company of its national vice chairman.

“I implored on the delegates that the issue was not about me but the mood of the Igbos in the nation.

“I implored that they should vote for any south east aspirant so that when the votes are counted, we would not be missing.

“We would have made a strong statement in the process that the Igbos are eminently qualified with due capacity to lead the country,” he said.

He regretted that conversely, the delegates ‘traded” their votes while only those from Ebonyi voted for him and others.

“They will come later to preach about Igbo unity and its agenda but henceforth, the only agenda I know is the Ebonyi agenda.

“This shows that even if we have equal number of local government areas and delegates such as other zones, we would still trade our votes.

“We are currently regarded as people who can sell anything but they should remember that anyone who betrays his brother will lose the trust of those who gained from the betrayal.

“There was no sort of lobbying I did not receive but I maintained that it was about bringing the marginalisation of the Igbos to the fore,” he said.

Umahi commended the delegates from Ebonyi for their trust and steadfastness, assuring that other people would soon realise that money is not everything.

“You (Ebonyi delegates) have made yourselves reference points of steadfastness in the country and when people are seeking for trustworthy people, they will come for you.

“I have lost total confidence in the leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organisation and will openly confront anyone who challenges the Ebonyi agenda,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Umahi garnered the highest votes of 38 by any south east aspirant in the primary, won by former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu. (NAN)

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