Umahi challenges Wike to a debate, anoints Ebonyi speaker as successor  

Governor Umahi has challenged  Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, to a debate for saying that he would not win elections without the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing him as “a lawyer that does not know the law.”

“I am calling him to a debate, he wants to be president, I want to be president, let us do a debate so that the world would see how intellectual property would be deployed.”

The governor made the remark  during the internment of the father to the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Barrister Chioma Nweze in Okposi, Ohaozara local government area of the state.

The governor used the occasion to anoint the embattled speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ogbonna Nwifuru to succeed him come 2023.. Umahi who called on Ebonyi people to support Nwifuru expressed hope that he would consolidate on the divine mandate in the state.

He said, “to Okposi people and people of Ebonyi state, I present to you the choice of the people in the person of the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and I want Ebonyi South people to know that when it was the turn of Ebonyi South, an Abakaliki man was contesting and the Abakaliki people said no, so it is the time to pay them back.

“I want to assure you that this divine mandate we came with would continue and when this man comes on board, we would not turn left and right from divine mandate, so fear not, there is nobody that is thrown up by God that the people would not criticise.

“If people do not accept the sacrifices you are making, God will not disregard it, you can see that his children are very successful, some are doctors, some are lawyers, etc.

“In all honesty, it is my performance and that of others that APC will use to do their campaign.

“I ask you to continue to support our government, we have only one party and this party we are in now will continue with the development of Ebonyi state from wherever we would stop.

“Let the next president come from South for equity, justice, and fairness, if the presidency is not zoned to the southeast by PDP and APC, they should tell the people why.”