A critical stakeholder of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State and chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam, has condemned the adoption and endorsement of the embattled Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr Francis Nwifuru for governor by the state, David Umahi.
Mbam charged Umahi to desist from imposing his successor come the 2023 general election.
According to Mbam, anointing a successor the way the governor is going about it by muscling everyone is capable of closing the political space against potential aspirants and APC in the state.
RMFAC chairman stated this hours after the governor announced the embattled speaker Nwifuru as his successor.
He then urged the governor and leader of their party in the state to give all the interested aspirants equal opportunity to contest for the position.
“If the announcement is correct, it means they are closing the political space against potential aspirants and it is not good for our party.
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“INEC and our party have emphasized that there should be no imposition of candidates. If we close the political space in the disguise of anointing or endorsement, to impose a candidate, it will not be in the interest of the party. It will close the space for other aspirants and APC will run the risk of losing the general elections in the 2023 election
“I know the governor is the leader of the party in the state and so all of us in the party are his children. So I expect him as a father of the party to give everyone equal opportunity and let the people determine who will be their governor.
“I am well prepared for the service to this state. I don’t think anybody knows the various localities of this state more than me because I have always served my people,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked if he is still interested in the governorship position of the state, Chief Mbam said he is still consulting and will make his intentions clear very soon.
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