I’m Still In 2023 Presidential Race — Umahi Denies Dropping Ambition

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has denied reports making the rounds on his alleged withdrawal from the 2023 presidential race.

An online newspaper, not Oriental Times, reported on Tuesday that Governor Umahi had abandoned his presidential ambition and decided to contest the Ebonyi South senatorial seat in 2023.

But responding to enquiry on Tuesday, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, the Ebonyi Commissioner for Information, denied the reports.

According to Orji, the reports were sponsored by the opposition to distract Governor Umahi from his quest to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the next presidential election.

In a subsequent statement sent to our correspondent, the commissioner said “Contrary to their cowardly fabrications against the well thought and nationally accepted Presidential ambition of Governor Umahi, we restate for the pleasure of progressive Nigerians home and in diaspora, that the falsehood trending currently in Social Media that Governor Umahi has dropped his ambition for Senate is nothing but empty and vaunting architecture of political charlatans who are intimidated by the tall and admirable hallmarks of leadership excellence recorded by Governor Umahi and which has put him forward as a frontline Presidential material that can win the hearts of Nigerians in 2023 General Election. Governor Umahi’s Presidential ambition is unwavering and is alive in the hearts of Nigerians.

“We advise the opposition forces and their agents to desist from all these fruitless and bizarre orchestrations against God’s servant and accomplished leader, for that is bringing more ostracism to their own organisms. We assure them that no matter the secrecy and potency of their plots, God will bring it to naught as we come in the name of God.

“We shall not hesitate in exposing the identities of the paid jobbers and their principals who have taken to social media to escalate fake news and false information aimed at undermining the Presidential ambition of Governor Umahi,” Orji added.