Federal lawmakers from Ebonyi State, on Wednesday, disowned Governor David Umahi, who has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party and joined the All Progressives Congress.

The leader of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Sam Egwu, presented the position of his fellow Senators and members of the House of Representatives, during a well-attended press conference, in Abuja.

Egwu said, “For the sake of clarity, we wish to state that not a single member of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus of the National Assembly is defecting to the APC.

The three distinguished senators and five House of Representatives members remain proud card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform under which we contested and won elections in 2019.

“The major reason given by Umahi for defecting from the PDP to the APC is now in the public domain which is that the PDP has not been fair to the People of the South East on the issue of zoning the Presidency and vice Presidency.

While we support that it is the turn of the South East to fly the Presidential flag, of any of the major political parties come 2023, yet, we consider it impolitic, indecent and unwise to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning.

“Indeed, if there is any Ebonyi person who should remain eternally grateful to the PDP, that individual ought to be Governor David Umahi.”

The federal lawmakers described Umahi as an ingrate. They noted that during his time as member of the PDP he was given the privilege to serve as state party chairman, deputy governor and elected twice as governor.

Egwu also said, “As Governor, his two younger brothers were elected to principal offices of the PDP; one (Mr. Austine Umahi) as the National Vice Chairman (South East) and another (Mr. Maxwell Umahi) as the Deputy State Chairman of the PDP.

“As democrats, we concede Chief Umahi’s right to join any political association of his choice. However, as federal lawmakers we are not unaware of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of political parties.

What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another, particularly when there is no division in their party.”