ELECHI SIDELINED, BOOED AS JONATHAN 'S CAMPAIGN TRAIN VISITS EBONYI.

Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi was on Friday booed by some party supporters during the presidential campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Capital.

This is also as the Governor was sidelined and denied the opportunity of speaking at the rally.

Elechi was listed on item 9 of the official programme of the event to speak but he could not be called throughout the event, as the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu handed the flag of the party to the governorship candidate of PDP, Engr Dave Umahi, who is also the Deputy Governor of the State.

However, the immediate former Governor of the State, Dr. Sam Egwu rose in his defense, noting that “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.

“I want to believe that those who respect their elders, those who know what power is must hear this and respect our leaders;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”, he said.

Addressing the mammoth crowd at the occasion, President Goodluck
Jonathan promised that if voted into power for the second term, he would continue to ensure that whatever was due for the State would get to it and that he would continue to partner the state to ensure the upgrade of infrastructures, institutions and industries within the state.

While paying tribute to founding fathers of the state, including Late Dr. Akanu Ibiam, late Aja Nwachukwu and Sen Offia Nwali, President Jonathan said that Ebonyi benefited from the 13 newly established federal universities under his administration, as well as the upgrade of Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki into a Teaching Hospital, to help the medical students of the Ebonyi State University.

He said; “For Ebonyi state, my commitment for the next administration which you have already told me that you will vote for myself and Namadi Sambo is that we will work with you to improve the issue of education in Ebonyi state, the issue of agricultural mechanization in Ebonyi state, the issue of industrialization in Ebonyi state, the issue of water management in Ebonyi State and the health challenges in Ebonyi state. Rebuilding the infrastructure will continue in what we are doing and we will provide for a majority of our young people.”

Earlier the National Chairman of the Party, Alh Adamu Muazu, the Chairman of the presidential campaign council, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, the Secretary to the Federal Government, Sen Anyim Pius Anyim and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu appealed to the people of the state to vote PDP and President Jonathan as the only party with track record, which also can tackle the challenges facing the nation.

They maintained that the impressive turn out of people at the venue was a clear indication that the people really wanted to return the President to power, even as he (Jonathan) believes that “his ambition does not worth the spill of blood of any Nigerian”.