Umahi Withdraws From Senatorial Re-run in Ebonyi

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

The younger brother to the Minister of Works, Chief Austin Umahi, has withdrawn his senatorial ambition in the February 3 re-run election.

In a statement which was signed on behalf of the family by High Chief Nwaze Umahi and made available to journalists by Chief Austin Umahi said he was prevailed upon by his family members to withdraw from the senatorial race.

“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, as no position is worth spilling the blood of anybody. No sincere person who wants to serve the people in any capacity ought to fight for it”.

“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,” Umahi said.

The family however frowned at the earlier resolution of the State Working Committee of the APC for zoning the Senatorial position at Onicha Local Government Area, which excluded their brother from the race.

The statement further read: “That the Umahi family is not unaware of the resolution purportedly passed by the State Working Committee of the Ebonyi State APC (Ebonyi APC SWC) 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 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.”