David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi state, says some people in
the south-east region are convinced that the 2023 elections will not hold.
Umahi said those with such a mindset believe that if
elections do not take place, the national assembly will declare a state of
emergency in the region.
In recent times, the south-east has witnessed a spate of
attacks on police stations and government facilities including offices
belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Speaking at the presidential ministerial press briefing on
Thursday, Umahi said the country will remain together under the 1999 Nigerian
constitution (as amended), noting that “until it is changed, nobody can do
anything about it”.
“A lot of people have
been brainwashed in the south-east about Biafra. The Biafra I desire is the
Biafra of the mind, Biafra of development, the Biafra where each state of south-east
will deploy the resources that we are getting from the centre, and from our IGR
to develop our place,” he said
“That is the Biafra that I see. I see a Biafra of equity and
justice all over the regions. That’s what I see.
“So, some of them have been indoctrinated that there will be
no election in 2023 and that is very dangerous.
“Because, if you say
there will be no election in your region, then the national assembly could make
an emergency law to say there will be emergency rule there and there is nothing
you can do about it.”
Umahi said the governors of the region have appealed to
their youths to give them six months to dialogue with the federal government
with a view to resolving their grievances.
He said if after six months their grievances are not
addressed, they will join them in their agitation.
The governor said: “We are calling on our youths to submit
their demands to us, we will come to the centre and submit.
“If in the next six
months we have not substantially addressed it, we can join you in the agitation
but right now we don’t support you to insult the president, leaders of
south-east and other leaders. That is not agitation, that is foolishness.
Agitation is agitation.
“So we have to tell ourselves the truth, if we want to
address marginalisation and exclusion from the affairs of the nation, we have
to apply wisdom.
“We shouldn’t go by the way of violence and allow people to
hijack peaceful demands of our people. This is our position.”
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