PETER OBI AS UMAHI’S NIGHTMARE

 Nduka Nwosu writes that David Umahi’s verbal outbursts is unfortunate

Ever since Vice President Atiku Abubakar chose Peter Obi as his running mate in the run up to the 2019 Presidential election, Governor David Umahi has not been happy with the Labour Party Presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.

He had claimed he was fighting against the marginalisation of the Ebonyi man in the general scheme of things because both Ebonyi and Imo States were excluded from the list drawn down by the party for consideration. He did not say Imo State also complained of marginalisation but on Monday Umahi returned with his marginalisation theory accusing everyone of what he had earlier referred to as the Ebonyi fear of marginalisation in the Southeast. Really? Is this the same Ebonyi State that produced the first and last Governor of Eastern Nigeria Sir (Dr.) Francis Akanu Ibiam, that produced Dr. Aja Nwachukwu as Nigeria’s First Republic Minister of Education and a host of other great Ebonyians in this polity?

So, what is Umahi talking about? Is it the fear of marginalisation that is behind his hatred of Peter Obi? What is lacking in his plethora of achievements that Peter Obi is reminding him of? The fact is that the Peter Obi brand is Umahi’s obsession worsened by his lack luster performance at the last APC Presidential primaries.

Umahi went into the APC with the understanding he has been promised he would be Nigeria’s next President. The Southeast was okay with that proposition though with an air of trepidation. The sense of hurry with which he stampeded himself into the ruling party was alarming. He entertained himself on the beauty of his exit from the opposition party and how PDP marginalised Ebonyi State at various times in this ongoing political experiment. He had been wooing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammad Buhari despite the fact he became a governor on a PDP ticket. In a bid to realise a pet ambition, Umahi railed abuses on the PDP, claiming marginalisation of Ebonyi State and crossed over to the party and reminded it he had seen in a dream he would be the next President of Nigeria.

In his first tenure as Governor, he campaigned for Buhari ‘s second term bid as President. Obviously, there is something in Umahi’s DNA that makes him feel taller when he dreams dreams as Nigeria’s next President. After all his transformation of Ebonyi State to a modern state has been celebrated far and near. A President David Umahi would replicate what he did in Ebonyi in the larger Nigerian space. Great!

Yet, apart from a few advertorials on television, Umahi did not travel to Borno State to campaign and tell the people he would make a clean sweep of Boko Haram and turn Sambisa Forest into a Dubai; he did not visit the nearby Abia State to teach the governor the art of governance and promise the indigenes he would make their state as good if not better than his dear state. He did not proceed to Kaduna State and tell them he would resolve the ethnic religious killings going on in the state

Umahi has seen Obi traversing the entire Nigerian space as the arrowhead and avant garde of a new movement, with a tremendous following among the youths and other age brackets in the country. A new Nigerian movement for positive change is unfolding. What the polity had always wanted and yearned for is a restructured Nigeria without rent seekers, a Nigeria where tribe and tongue do not matter. Nigerians are connecting with the Obi-dient mantra of no more sharing. And the lyrics from the Obi choir are rhythmic and resonating with hope and greatness for the future.

Therefore, all this flexing coming from Governor Umahi is a shout out to BAT, an application letter to campaign for him and wait for an appointment in anticipation of victory and payback. Umahi never campaigned as a potential flag bearer of the APC. He took so much for granted and felt entitled. We saw Governor Nyesom Wike, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo campaigning through the length and breadth of the country. Umahi sat like a dummy at Government House Abakaliki waiting for an Ohanaeze endorsement to drop on his laps. How foolish!!

Ebonyi is a PDP state but ideally APC delegates in Ebonyi State should be under him. What did he do for them? He took it for granted that the votes belonged to him. Did he ask what Tinubu did for his delegates including those of Lagos State? Besides, no Igbo man believed Umahi was serious when he jumped ship and defected to the APC. Now he says Ebonyi people are despised by the rest of Ndigbo.

What nonsense!!

The same Umahi who complained Obi was chosen as a Vice Presidential candidate without his clearance, has not gotten over his blues. Seniority no longer counts in Igboland. Obi had served as governor long before Umahi found himself in Government House Abakaliki. Why is he quarreling with that? He is jealous and disrespectful of his senior brother who has excelled in the art of governance.

We respect Obi for many reasons. As a devout Catholic he knows the respect the church attaches to the beauty of womanhood. He cannot be charged for domestic violence or physical abuse of the womenfolk. He does not beat his wife. This and many other reasons explain why the women are rushing to be registered as crusaders of Obinomics, in the Change Nigeria Movement led by Obi

Here is Dave Umahi talking about Ebonyi voting for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not for Obi. Nobody is quarrelling with that. What is an issue is making it look like he would ensure anyone who runs counter to this Decree of Emperor Dave Umahi would be stoned to death. Umahi is disrespectful of those who have occupied Government House Abakiliki before him. Suddenly he wants to secede from his roots and join Zamfara State. What a pity.

Sam Egwu was a two-time governor of Ebonyi State and made his mark. He handed over to Governor Martin Elechi who handed over to Umahi. Egwu was a true Nigerian and a proud Igbo man, a former Minister of Education, a distinguished scholar, and Senator of the Federal Republic who built bridges across the length and breadth of the country. His goodwill, not blackmail of his kinsmen, attracted the good things of life to him. Unlike Umahi, Egwu campaigned in the North, East, South and West of the country when he aspired to be President. He addressed the crowd in Lagos and Abeokuta, was received by the Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel and from Lagos the campaign train headed for Ondo State.

Did we see Umahi doing same? No, instead he returned home after the primaries with a brain wave full of sound and fury with a hired crowd that came to congratulate him for his inability to secure the Ebonyi delegate votes. No, it was Obi’s fault.

Umahi forgot under the PDP, Anyim Pius Anyim was a onetime Senate President. Anyim is a proud Igbo man from Ebonyi State who again became the Number Four under President Goodluck Jonathan, serving as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). He did not get the job by blackmailing or threatening his kinsmen. The Presidential aspirant in the just concluded PDP election, did not hound Ohanaeze for losing the flag or ticket.

If Umahi wants to invite President Buhari to Ebonyi State for a third time, he stands to lose nothing. Buhari’s aura and tall image which complement his, make the governor glow in glory. Such visit will be a parting gift that will help stoke his ambition as a future President of Nigeria. Until that happens, Umahi by his action has only succeeded in telling Nigerians he is about to become jobless.

Nwosu was former GMD of Leadership Newspapers