I have right to choose my replacement at Senate – Umahi

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has declared that he has the right to decide his replacement as the senator representing Ebonyi South district under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umahi left the Senate after being appointed the country’s minister of works by President Bola Tinubu.

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Sept. 8 ruled that Umahi was the district’s validly elected senator after dismissing petitions from the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates.

Umahi declared that he had the right to determine his replacement on Saturday during his visit to Gov. Francis Nwifuru, as part of his tour of the state to inspect federal roads.

He said that he is a prominent stakeholder of the APC as only the governor ranks above him in the party in Ebonyi.

“We would ensure that the party’s zones the ticket to Ohaozara (his Local Government Area) and it will not leave there.

“We would discuss the issue with the governor and through him, run through the court process pending where the opposition takes us,” he said.

The minister thanked the governor for supporting his moves to make Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC-Ebonyi Central) replace him as the Senate deputy majority leader.

“I asked if you could facilitate the process, you did and it is currently working.

“It is not every governor that would want his subject to grow but I want to assure you of complete comfort.

“President Tinubu does not like division and be assured that you are not struggling for the party’s leadership with anyone,” he said.

Umahi noted that his decision to decamp to the APC from the PDP has yielded fruits with the projection of the state in mainstream politics.

“That decision nearly took my life, my properties were burnt and I became the enemy of the entire Igbos.

“The decision fetched all of us our present position so support the governor to deepen the party in the state and southeast zone,” he said.

He declared that President Tinubu was ordained by God to lead the country, noting that he had maintained that stance since the electioneering period.

“I urge the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and other Igbo stakeholders, to support Tinubu.

“The president gave us the foremost ministerial position even when we didn’t vote well for him,” he said. (NAN)