Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has assured returnee members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of full integration and equal opportunities in the party.

Engr. Umahi, who received some stakeholders of Abakaliki Local Government Area in his office in Abakaliki on Wednesday, said he was happy that those of them that worked for the Labour Party during the last general elections have decided to return to the PDP.

He said: “I want you to feel free in our administration. Ebonyi State belongs to you and me. So you have nothing to be afraid of. You will all be properly integrated. We are all members of the PDP and I’m happy that you have all come back.

“I have no problem with those who supported Labour Party. I even have respect for them provided they did not over do things, because it is expected that, he that pays the piper dictates the tone. I am a spiritual person and I look at things objectively. If the former governor appointed you, it is expected that you will be loyal to him.”

The governor, who also promised to engage some of them in future as a means of giving them confidence that they had been fully integrated into the PDP, added: “I believe strongly that within the next one year, the PDP family will be completely together.”

Earlier, a former Special Assistant to the ex-Governor Martins Elechi on Project Monitoring, Engr. Felix A. Otta, said they were at the Government House to commiserate with Engr. Umahi on the death of his mother, Deaconess Margaret Umahi.

Otta used the occasion to express their profound gratitude and appreciation to Governor Umahi on his focused, purposeful and dynamic leadership in the state. He commended the governor on his great achievements in just one year of his administration, especially, the transformation of Abakaliki, the state capital into a modern capital city.

A former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, and ex-Chairman of Abakaliki LGA and General Manager, Ebonyi Rice World, Mr. Matthew Uguru, were among the visiting Abakaliki Local Government Stakeholders.

•Photo shows Governor Umahi.

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