Umahi Declares Intention to Vie for Senate Presidency

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State and Senator-elect for Ebonyi South zone, Dave Umahi, yesterday, declared his intention to contest for the office of Senate President.

Umahi, who addressed newsmen in Abakaliki appealed to the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, to consider zoning the position of the Senate Presidency to the South East zone.

He noted that if the position was zoned to the zone, it would address the injustice and marginalisation against the people of South East.

The governor also called on the National Assembly to amend the Senate rule to accommodate first timers to contest for the principal offices of the National Assembly, saying he was forward, willing and competent to contest for the Senate Presidency if it was in accordance with the decision of the party.

“I am asking the National Assembly to set aside the House Rules for the best to emerge. If the Senate zones the Senate Presidency to the South East, I am indicating interest, so I have been in public service for the past 16 years, so you can see that I understand what it takes to rebuild this country. I appeal to the Senate to set aside the rules for the best man to emerge. This is without prejudice to the will of God.

“We courageously left PDP to APC, because of injustice, so the South East trusts APC because in Ebonyi State, we returned three Senatorial Candidates, three House of Representatives Candidates, so Ebonyi is totally APC. It will be very fair enough for the nation Nigeria to look in the direction of South East in this Senate Presidency,” Umahi said.