By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi on Sunday said that the state was not developed by the federal government but by the ingenuity of the leaders of the state.

Umahi, who aspired to be presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), in the just concluded party primaries, made this known while addressing stakeholders during a church service, that took place at the New Government House Centenary City, Abakaliki, the state capital.

The governor equally tasked his anointed successor and other candidates contesting elections in the state to stick to the ticket they are holding.

It was gathered that there have been rumours of defection by some candidates contesting election on the platform of APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the state.

According to the governor, “In the PVC registration, we came 8. If they were to award the mark, they will give us 36, as they give us in our allocation but our neighbours were getting 35 number.

“If it is transparency, Ebonyi is coming first, if it is fiscal sustainability, Ebonyi is coming first. If it is a state that has the ability to sustain itself without federal, Ebonyi is coming first, what else can we say?

“It is about God’s plan for the state, we still have two more weeks to end the PVC registration and we can come to number five, we can come to number three. So, whatever it takes for us to come to number three, yes we can.

“And let me tell you, don’t get entangled with party politics, worry not yourself about this, Stick to the tickets you are holding. This state was never developed by the centre, it was developed by us.

“Don’t worry yourself about any party or this thing, stick to the ticket we have. That’s where God wants us to be and it is from that platform that we advance the cause of this state.

“Remember, no man gave us any chance. They will never give us a chance, we have to impose ourselves on them and that’s what we have been doing. If they said we should not be heard, they are the ones that have to hear us. Even if they share something down this side, they will take it from us but through the supernatural power of God, we have imposed ourselves.

“They have reluctantly come to recognize us and we have to take it to another level. The party we know is the ticket we are holding. You must know that no one developed this state for us; the political party or the centre did not. We are the ones through the power of God that developed this state.

“So, don’t engage on party something. Always look forward to what you have and Ebonyi will be interested in what we have, very important. We are not against any party, we are not against anybody but a bird at hand worth ten in the bush.

“I have no problems with our elections, this is one family and when the time comes, you will go round and let our people know and I continue to maintain that Ebonyi State is very lucky.

“For those who tried to thwart justice and equity; when the North had done their eight years, the central did their eight years and it was the time for the south, some elders from the south joined people from Abakaliki bloc to deny that justice that south should not get it,” he stated.

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