By Douglas Okoro
#TrackNigeria: Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji, the Ebonyi All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate has declared that the party in the state has all it takes to successfully host President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari is due to visit Ebonyi on Jan. 30 in continuation of his nationwide presidential reelection campaign.
Ogbuoji, in a statement issued by the Director of Media, Ogbuoji Campaign Directorate, Mr Ikenna Emewu in Abakaliki on Sunday, said adequate plans are in place for the successful reception of Mr President to Ebonyi.
He urged the public especially APC supporters to disregard a claims by Gov. Dave Umahi alleging that he has been contacted by the national leadership of the APC to assist and host Buhari on Wednesday.
‘‘I was with Mr President, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the APC national chairman and Mr Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of Transport and deputy director general of the Buhari Campaign Organization at the State House two nights ago.
“In the meeting there was never a time our discussion raised any doubts about the capacity of the Ebonyi APC to host the president.
‘‘And in case of any doubt, the structure of the party allows for zonal synergy to the extent that if, and assuming any state cannot host Mr President in his campaign tours, the zone intervenes and does that.
“At no point in time does the party allow a governor from another party to host the president on his campaign tour which is strictly a party affair.
‘In the other states already visited, the only thing the governor does is just to welcome the president and it ends there.
‘’He had earlier talked about loaning 2,000 members of his party faithful to the hosting, and now lying against the APC national leadership.
“I can say all these shenanigans are signs Umahi is unsettled by the success of the hosting he had already seen from intelligence gathering.
“He belongs to the PDP and should for once hide his dual personality and betrayal politics against his party,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Mr Emma Uzor, the Chief Press Secretary to Umahi said that the governor was obligated under official protocol to receive the president on arrival in Ebonyi.
He said: “Aside from politics Umahi enjoys long standing relationship with Buhari; a father-son relationship which existed before Mr President came to power.
“As regards issue of pressure, this is politics and every political party is lobbying the strong men who are political actors and if you are not a strong man nobody will lobby you.
“The lobbying is not unconnected to the political sagacity of the governor; being chairman the South-East Governors’ Forum and a governor that is doing well, he is a beautiful ‘bride’. It is not only APC, other political parties are lobbying the governor”. (NAN)
