While speaking at the Government House Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Monday, Peter Obi, said Igbo leaders and governors of the South-East zone never disagreed with his nomination as Atiku's running mate, but disagreed with the process.
According to PREMIUM Times, the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of 2019 election, said he was in the state to seek the support of the state Governor, David Umahi.
He said; “Umahi is our leader, he is a man of impeccable character. He was at the centre of the storm but I want to tell the people that Umahi and Igbo leaders were misrepresented badly.
“Igbo leaders never disagreed with my nomination as VP candidate but disagreed with the process; but I am here to solicit for your support.”
The former Anambra governor said he believes the current ruling party in Nigeria, APC, was mismanaging the economy.
“PDP as a party is desirous of returning to power at the center not just because we want to return to power but because we have seen that in our country Nigeria every indices of development today is heading south and we cannot continue that way.
“In terms of borrowing and all other indices everything is heading south. So PDP wants to come back and continue rebuilding the nation,” Obi added.
While reacting to Obi's visit, Umahi commended the former governor for his humility and described him as an asset to the country and the PDP, and promised to support Obi and Atiku Abubakar, while noting that the zone will still meet with Atiku to discuss his plans for the region.
“I have every reason to be happy very with you. There is no way even if I was nominated I will be the vice presidential candidate. I still have more than four years as a governor. Secondly, we have always supported ourselves. During my campaign, you came and even gave us vehicles.
“A lot of people have understood that there is nobody that is against our son, nobody has anything against you and that’s why everywhere you go, the South-east governors will roll out their drums. But no governor in the South-east will say the process, I approve of it; and he (Obi) didn’t approve of it. He told me, ‘look if I were in your position, I will be angrier’ and that is an honest man who understands what his people are saying.
“And so sir, you have done very well because what you did is to save the party. I feel that all these noise they are making is marketing the party. You have saved the party and I want you to keep on explaining to those who didn’t understand so that they can understand”.
“With this, the presidential candidate has said look I am coming to the South-east to discuss with you. We South-east people have never gone into presidential election with negotiation, nobody has thought of that. This is the only opportunity we are going to have to ask the presidential candidate what is it that you are going give us.
“Probably, if we didn’t raise eyebrow about that, we would have probably gone into the victory and we now begin to say we are now marginalised. I will never repent on that that which is going to come to South-east.
"When we see what is going to come to South-east, we will sit down and ask what Ebonyi will get. We have close to 1.5 million votes but we are working to deliver 1.3 million votes. That’s the fact and with that we will be saying what is coming to South-east and what is it that will come to us, this is very important.
“I am a straight forward person. If we are giving support to PDP, we are giving support to PDP and there is no doubt about that. We are PDP, no more no less.
“Sir, we will give you the support but we must see our presidential candidate to discuss with us what he has for South-east and Ebonyi.”
