Austin Umahi, the younger brother to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has withdrawn from the race for Ebonyi South Senatorial District.
The position of the family was contained in a statement it issued, which also confirmed Umahi’s withdrawal from the race.
The Eagle Online recalls that the State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, which said it has the backing of the state Governor, Francis Nwifuru, and the national leadership of the party, zoned the position for the rerun election to Onicha Local Government Area, whereas Umahi is from Uburu in Ohaozara LGA.
Austin had seen himself as a natural successor of David, who resigned from the position to take up a ministerial appointment in President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Austin also served as the head of the APC Governorship Campaign Council for Nwifuru’s election.
However, the APC said the distribution of political appointments and elective positions does not favour the Umahis LGA producing the representative in the Senate.
Speaking after a meeting, the Umahi family in a statement by High Chief Nwaze Umahi, the eldest son, said: “The general public is hereby intimated that on the 28th day of December, 2023, the family of late Joseph Umahi Nwaeze of Umunaga Uburu, Ohaozara LGA, Ebonyi State held a meeting whereat we reviewed the developments and utterances with respect to the vacant Ebonyi South senatorial seat which Austin Umahi had indicated interest in contesting on the APC platform and notes as follows:
“That the Umahi family is not unaware of the resolution purportedly passed by the State Working Committee(SWC) of the Ebonyi State APC purportedly zoning the Ebonyi South senatorial seat to Onicha Local Government Area.
“That the family is not unaware that the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution has no place in law as it’s the exclusive preserve of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) or the National Working Committee (NWC) to zone political offices, if need be, and to organize party primaries for all elective offices.
“That the family is fully convinced that it is the inalienable constitutional right of Austin Umahi, as a member of the APC and Nigerian citizen of Ebonyi South Senatorial District, to contest the APC primary for the rerun election to the vacant Ebonyi South Senatorial seat notwithstanding the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution.
“That the whole essence of the purportedly Ebonyi APC SWC resolution is to oust Austin Umahi from contesting the primary in view of the clear evidence on ground that Austin enjoys an overwhelming grassroot support capable of granting him outright victory in a free and fair APC primary and re-run elections in Ebonyi South.
“That contrary to the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution, the APC otherwise has a MORAL BURDEN to give Austin Umahi the right of first refusal in the Ebonyi South senatorial rerun election having earlier won the APC senatorial primary of 28th May 2022 which he relinquished on the intervention of the family to HE Engr David Umahi, the then Ebonyi state governor and current Minister of Works.
“That Austin Umahi is known to be a reliable APC member who has worked selflessly and relentlessly for victories of the party in Ebonyi State and was the Director General of Divine Mandate Campaign Council for HE Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, his sole agent in the governorship primary and his State Returning Officer in the governorship election of March 2023.
“He did all these to the satisfaction and admiration of both the APC members and non-members in Ebonyi State.
“That Austin Umahi has never enjoyed any political appointment, notwithstanding that he was the same person who dropped his position as National Vice Chairman of the PDP to defect to the APC with the then Ebonyi state governor, HE David Umahi, and joined since then in building the APC in 2020.
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“Not withstanding the facts above highlighted:”The family of late Joseph Umahi Nwaze has decided to passionately appeal to Austin Umahi and his teaming loyal and dogged supporters to kindly shelve his legitimate ambition of contesting for the vacant Senatorial seat for now in order to give peace a chance and disappoint all those people who want to engender crisis and anarchy in Ebonyi South Senatorial District.
“That the family immensely appreciates Austin Umahi for accepting to drop his just ambition and thank his teaming supporters for their sustained support even after the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution.”
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