Ebonyi State Governor, Martin Elechi, was conspicuously sidelined at President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Friday.
The governor, who has lost control of the Peoples Democratic Party structure in his state, was not given an opportunity to speak at the rally, which held at the Abakaliki Township Stadium.
Elechi was scheduled to speak on item nine of the official programme of the rally, but for undisclosed reasons, he was not called upon to speak throughout the event, where the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu, handed the flag of the party to the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Dave Umahi, who is equally Elechi’s deputy. Continue..
Elechi’s loyalists, who did not participate in primaries where Umahi emerged as the governorship candidate, had reportedly moved to the Labour Party.
The governor was also booed at the event by a section of the crowd, which turned out for the rally.
The development must have prompted his predecessor, former governor, Sam Egwu, to speak up for him (Elechi), urging everybody to remember that the governor remained the leader of the party in the state and therefore deserved respect.
Speaking at the rally, Egwu said, “We have a leader in this state and why Ebonyi is one is that they are peaceful people; they are people that respect culture; they are people that respect authority; they are people that when their leaders speak, they hear him.
“I want to ask you please, no matter your personal grievances, we have a governor that is in charge of the state. He is our governor and you must, as a matter of principle and authority, respect him.
“Forget whatever are your personal grievances; the governor is the governor of this state and he is our governor and you must give him all the respect he deserves.
“If you are somebody, who has personal grievances, take it outside this place. We have Nigerians before us here; we have the President of the country before us here. So, please, I plead with you.”
Addressing the crowd, Jonathan promised that if voted into power for the second term, he would upgrade infrastructure, institutions and industries within the state.
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