‘Umahi has what it takes to clinch APC presidential ticket’

Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi has what it takes to clinch the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) among those that have declared their intention, the state commissioner of Information, Uchenna Orji, has said.

Orji told Daily Trust in Abuja that clinching the APC ticket was not all about money, but a track record of performance and the will of the people.

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The commissioner also said, “I can say that within the APC, we have people who have declared but looking at the track records of all of these people, one can say that Governor Umahi has a very bright chance of becoming the candidate of the APC.”

He also said “2023 is a defining moment and if we don’t get it right in 2023, it is going to spell doom to the unity and collective existence of this country. That is why Nigeria should without ethnic or political considerations, without considerations based on pecuniary interests, look for somebody that has shown evidential records of performance.”

Orji also noted that based on the prevailing circumstances, the South East should ordinarily produce the next president of the country in 2023.

He said it is important that equity, morality and equality be brought to bear to determine where the next president should go to, adding that APC leadership believes in equity and there has to be effective equity in the South.

“That is to say now that we have a region that has produced the president for eight years and coupled with the fact that the current vice president is also from that region, it is only fair and equitable, morally speaking that South East be considered,” he said.

He, however, said the whole process should be about negotiation.

“It is by speaking to the collective sensibilities of the people of Nigeria. The people of Nigeria have conscience; they believe that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. The people believe that for us to be one, indivisible, united nation, we need to consider even the weakest part of the nation.

“Yes, politics is about majority but it is the people that decide the majority. Even the majority can decide that somebody from the minority can come and lead in order to have self-confidence, sense of belonging and fair play amongst all. And that is what is all about nation building.

“We believe that zoning the presidency to the South East will help to give South East a sense of belonging; will help to reduce drastically the issue of agitation and will also help to heal wounds across the nation,” he said.