Ebonyi S/Senatorial Zone: Umahi’s Brother May Succeed Him As Campaign Poster Surfaces

••It’s illegal to conduct any rerun -Okorie

The campaign poster of the younger brother of the Minister of Works and Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, Chief Dave Umahi, Chief Austin Umahi has surfaced.

The campaign poster is seen on social media platforms with Austin’s picture.

Some groups in the state have been rooting for Austin who was the National Vice Chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), South East.

He is expected to run for a rerun to replace his elder brother, Dave Umahi who was elected Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate two months ago from where he was nominated a Minister by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who named him Minister of Works a few days ago.

There was speculation that the state Commissioner for Project Monitoring, Engr. Igboke Felix who contested for House of Representatives for Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency in the 2023 general elections and lost to Hon. Nkemkanma Kama of the Labour Party, may be tipped to replace Dave Umahi.

Another person who was rumoured to be a possible replacement for Dave Umahi for the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone rerun is a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Donatus Njoku.

Both Igboke and Njoku are from the Onicha local government area of the state while Austin Umahi and his elder brother, Dave Umahi are from the Ohaozara local government area of the state.

But the posters of Chief Austin Umahi have flooded the social media to lay the speculation to rest.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party, senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South senatorial zone in the 2023 National Assembly elections in the state, Chief Linus Okorie has said that it was illegal for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct any rerun for the zone when the outcome of the election was being challenged in the election petition tribunal.

Okorie is currently challenging the declaration of Chief Dave Umahi by INEC as the winner of the election.

Okorie, a former two-term House of Representatives member, described any attempt to conduct a rerun for the senatorial zone when the matter was still court as illegal.

“The Tribunal is sitting to adopt all the final addresses of all the parties. After that, the tribunal will reserve judgment and that may be next week.

“If that judgment is given, if the court decides that it was Umahi who won that election, then two things will happen; if nobody goes to the court of Appeal to challenge it, INEC will fix a date for a new election in which case, anybody can participate, but if the court didn’t rule that way, INEC can’t do nothing.

“There will be no election until the final determination of the 2023 Ebonyi south senatorial election in court, starting from the Tribunal and maybe to the court of Appeal, if any party feels dissatisfied with whatever the Tribunal rules. The only person that cannot Appeal now, is David Umahi because he is no longer in the process” he stated.

“There is an investigation ongoing by the police on the BVAS report forgery and irrespective of how the Tribunal determines it, there is an alleged crime, and time does not run against an alleged crime. The Issue of forgery is different from the result, is different from the Tribunal and it is different from the election.

“That allegation is being investigated, and there is a petition before the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and the outcome is completely a different thing. David Umahi is accused of forging the BVAS report, and the investigation is still ongoing, and has not stopped”, he said.