Senate Presidency: How Tinubu Persuaded Me To Step Down For Akpabio — Umahi

Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has revealed that the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, was instrumental in his stepping down for the former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, in the race for the 10th senate presidency.

The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday ratified the zoning formula proposed by Tinubu with Akpabio favourite for the senate’s top job.

Despite the supposed consensus, some party members rejected the candidacy of the former Akwa Ibom State governor, insisting on the inclusion of other geo-political zones.

But speaking at the newly constructed Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke, Umahi disclosed he had to accept Tinubu’s request for greater regional unity.

“The leader of the party who is the president-elect called me and I feel it is an honour to have called me and I consulted with him while he was in Paris and he said we were going to talk about it,” he said while speaking to newsmen on Monday at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke in Ebonyi.

“So, when he came back he called me and we had a meeting and he said please I Have committed myself and it is his right to do that, this is the president-elect, 29th May, he is going to be the president of the country so if he had made promises of course when you are running for such office you must make promises So I won’t be a clog in the wheel of his progress, so I had to accept.”

The Ebonyi State governor was, however, optimistic that those party faithful will eventually reap the rewards for their loyalty to Tinubu’s administration.

“So, I also accepted for the interest of the South-East let it not look as if we are in opposition, we just oppose everything. Politics is all about dialogue, it is about give and takes and if we surrendered now or I said No, what will have happened?

“So, I had to in the interest of the South East, so since we didn’t get that one I am sure by God’s special grace the efforts some of us made in marketing APC in the South East, we are going to get some other things that are tangible.”