Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, who will hand over power to a new administration on May 29, 2023, claimed that his own family conspired against him during the February 25 presidential election. Speaking on Channels Television on Monday night, Umahi said he was unaware that his relatives had voted for Labour Party candidate Peter Obi. He described their votes as “protest votes” driven by the hardships people were facing.
“I didn’t give any chance to the Labour Party to win any election in my state,” Umahi asserted, noting that the political system he put in place was designed to prevent any other party from winning, even at the councillorship level. “I see the Labour Party vote as a protest against my party, the Peoples Democratic Party.” He expressed surprise that members of his own family had voted for Obi, adding that in previous elections they had supported the All Progressives Congress because of the state’s achievements. “It was not a vote for His Excellency, Peter Obi. As such, there are seeming hardships and challenges in Nigeria,” he said.
Election results confirmed Obi’s dominance in Ebonyi State. The Labour Party candidate secured 259,738 votes, more than 75 % of the total, defeating APC candidate Bola Tinubu, who received 42,402 votes, and PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar, who garnered 13,503 votes. No other candidate reached 25 % of the vote. Umahi also expressed surprise that President‑elect Tinubu lost in Lagos State.
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