2023: Ebonyi Qualified To Produce Next President, Says Umahi’s Commissioner

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Sunday Inyima, has said the state was qualified to produce the next president of Nigeria.

Although his principal, Governor Dave Umahi, who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had denied nursing presidential ambition in the 2023 general elections, Inyima said it was time to “connect Ebonyi to the national grid”.

Umahi had said that he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to protest the “injustice” being done to the South East geopolitical zone by his former party.

The commissioner hinted that his principal may want to run for president in 2023.

Inyima revealed this while reacting to rumours on Facebook that he had resigned from Umahi’s cabinet following the governor’s defection to the APC.

The commissioner said he couldn’t have resigned his position on Facebook because he was not appointed on the social media platform.

“I cannot recollect collecting my appointment letter from facebook or the radio station where I purportedly announced my resignation.

“I instead collected my appointment letter from the governor through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and will follow such channel if I intend to resign.

Inyima said rumours of his resignation were fueled by his absence at the last state Executive Council meeting.

The commissioner said he couldn’t attend the council meeting because he was attending a World Bank regional water conference in Enugu.

“My absence possibly fueled speculations of my resignation but the trip to Enugu for the conference was approved by the governor.

“It is unfortunate that our people engage in gossip and back-biting and this was engineered by a particular political office holder from the area.

“The fake news of my resignation, however, showed me that I am still relevant and important and I am gratified over it,” he said.

Inyima added that, “It is time to connect Ebonyi and the South East zone to the national ‘grid’ (centre) and make it available where things are shared to other states and zones.

“We are now operating on an electric high tension and Ebonyi and the South East zone are qualified to produce the president of the country.”