Ebonyi State: Works Minister's Younger Brother, Austin, Bows To Pressure, Withdraws From Senatorial By-Election

By Oko OMAKA, Abakaliki

The Minister of Works' younger brother, Chief Austin Umahi, has finally bowed to pressure and has withdrawn from the senatorial race for Ebonyi South senatorial district.

The Southern Senatorial District is made up of five local government areas including Afikpo North, Edda, Ohaozara, Ivo and Onicha.

 The INEC has slated the Senatorial by-election for February 3, 2023.

Recall that when former Governor Umahi lost out of the presidential battle, he returned to the zone and his younger brother surrendered the ticket to him and INEC hurriedly conducted a by-election even as one Lady Agom Eze was also in the race.

 Umahi won the election to represent the zone, but was appointed minister of works by President Bola Tinubu.

He was later appointment minsiter and subsequently inaugurated, leading to the Senate President, Goodwill Akpabio, declaring his seat and others vacant, thus the re-run to fill the vacant position.

In the light of the above, Austin Umahi again declared his intention to step into his elder brother's pair of shoes considering the fact that he (Austin) was a 'palace holder' for Dave who was ab initio gunning for the presidency.

But in what appeared as move to curtail Umahi's dynasty, some say Austin's entrant into the race again did not go down well with All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders as some of them lobbied for the re-zoning of the senatorial seat to Onicha for equity and fairness.

The State Working Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi State, after stakeholders' meeting resolved to support Governor Francis Nwifuru in re-zoning the slot this time to Onicha local government area.

In a statement signed by Hon Stanley Okoro Emegha, the party chairman and sixteen others said in part: 'It is in unalloyed support and solidarity with the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State in all his people-oriented decisions in ensuring equity and justice prevail in all spheres of Ebonyi. We hereby zone the ticket to Onicha."

The new zoning formula generated much bad blood among the stakeholders, leading to series of intrigues and some horse-trading. 

But in what appeared as a votla face, Austin surrendered to the superior argument and stepped aside.

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

It read in part: “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.

“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.

“Besides, 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.

“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."

End