Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said there is no Rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State, while insisting that his relationship with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike remains strong.
Umahi described Wike as his good friend and brother, saying that even if Wike has a political candidate in Ebonyi State, such a candidate cannot break their relationship.
He said Wike had not told him that he has a candidate in the state, adding that whoever the candidate may be is not part of the personal relationship between him and Wike.
Speaking about the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umahi said he killed the party when he left it and questioned whether the PDP had become alive again.
He said if the PDP is alive, they would have to unalive it, arguing that the party did not treat the people of the Southeast well despite their support.
According to him, the people of the Southeast supported the PDP and voted for its presidential candidates, but when it was time for the party to honour them, they were instead maltreated.
Umahi said the Southeast now has hope in the All Progressives Congress, APC, and all APC candidates in Ebonyi State.
On political campaigns in Ebonyi, Umahi said anyone who wants to campaign in the state is free to come and campaign.
However, he warned that nobody should come to Ebonyi to foment crisis, stressing that anyone who attempts to cause a crisis will be run out of the state.
He also warned against hate speeches, saying those who want to campaign should not expect the state to roll out a red carpet for them after making inflammatory statements.
Umahi said this was the point Governor Francis Nwifuru was making and that the governor’s statement had been misunderstood.
He said he does not believe Governor Nwifuru has any problem securing a second term, adding that people should be allowed to express their feelings.
Umahi also noted that the campaign against Nwifuru is being carried out outside Ebonyi State, saying he had not spoken because, in his view, there was nothing to respond to.
He maintained that he does not see any threat to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru or any of the APC candidates in Ebonyi State.
Umahi recalled that he fought the political battle alone in the past, but said he now has Governor Nwifuru and several other leaders standing with him.
He said there is therefore nothing to fear, stressing that the focus should now be on calculating the votes ahead of time.
Umahi added that achieving 95 percent of the votes in Ebonyi State would be their dream come true.
