Don’t Sell Your Conscience, Ebonyi Guber Aspirant Urges APC Delegates
By Joyce Onuora Abakaliki
in Ebonyi State, one of the governorship Aspirant, Engr. Paul Okorie,
has urged delegates to the primaries not to
allow money-bag politicians to buy their conscience.
Okorie gave the admonition in Abakaliki during his formal declaration
before his supporters of his intention to contest the APC governorship
primaries in the state.
He warned delegates not to be hoodwinked by the money which he alleged
some of the governorship aspirants were sharing as that would not
guarantee their future; arguing that sharing money in order to buy the
people’s conscience was an indication of insincerity and deceit on the
part of such an aspirant.
Okorie equally expressed reservation over the indirect mode of primary
adopted for the state by National Working Committee, NWC, of the
party, saying, such method can give room for the emergence of an
unpopular candidate.
According to him, ‘only four days ago, the national leadership of the
party approved direct governorship primary for us; but just Thursday,
it was changed to indirect and we don’t know the power that is
working.’
The governorship hopeful said he is an apostle of direct primary
because it gives room for a popular candidate to emerge, warning that
the indirect primary approved for the state might lead to the
emergence of a candidate that cannot withstand Governor David Umahi
whom he described as very strong, powerful and rich.
He urged the delegates to vote for him to be able to fly the party’s
flag to defeat the incumbent governor, David Umahi.
Okorie assured that if elected governor of the state, he would only
complete the four years of the Ebonyi South zone in line with the
existing zoning arrangement in the state.
“Ebonyi state stands on the tripod of three senatorial
districts:North, Central and South. Each of the North and Central
senatorial districts has held the governorship position of the state
for two terms of eight years while South senatorial district is in its
first term.
“Therefore, if you give me your mandate to fly our party’s flag and
emerge victorious in the election, I will be governor for four years
only (that is completing the second term of the south) and handover to
somebody from another senatorial district”, he said.
Apart from Engr. Okorie, about eight others obtained APC governorship
forms in the state for the Saturday’s governorship primaries of the
party.