The face-off between immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Martin Elechi, and his successor, David Umahi, assumes widening dimensions that create concern to indigenes of the state, Special Correspondent, CHIJIOKE AGWU, reports.
Not many people who knew the level of intimacy and trust that once existed between Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, and his predecessor, Martin Elechi, would ever have imagined the degree of animosity currently existing between them.
By 2011 when Elechi needed a second term, Umahi was the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Favoured kid on the block
Umahi, an engineer by profession and business tycoon, was said to have performed so creditably in the estimation of Elechi that he preferred him to other politicians from Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone as his running mate.
In the race for the post, Umahi beat the likes of Paul Okorie, former Commissioner for Works, and Benjamin Igwenyi, former Attorney General of the state, among others.
The impression then was that the former governor, who was relatively aged and not prepared for the rigours of the election, needed a young and intelligent partner with tested capacity for political mobilisation to run with him, so as to be able to counter the formidable alliances by the opposition against him; hence the choice of Umahi.
As the state PDP chairman, deputy governorship candidate and chairman of Elechi’s Campaign Organisation, coupled with a promise of succession allegedly made to him by his then boss, Umahi deployed every political arsenal within his reach to prosecute the election, leading to their victory.
Elechi was said to be so impressed with the outcome of the exercise that he publicly described his running mate after the election as “all-conquering Dave Umahi”.
Determined to stand by his word and reward Umahi for his loyalty and services, Elechi, shortly after the election, allegedly assembled eight local government council chairmen out of the 13 local government areas of the state, under the leadership of the Chairman of Ezza South Local Government Area, Lazarus Ogbee, to champion the politics of Umahi taking over from him in 2015.
The honeymoon ends
However, before the end of first quarter of 2014, signs that the former governor was reconsidering his position on the politics of his succession became clear to watchers of political developments in the state, including Umahi. It started with a rumour that all efforts by Umahi, then deputy governor, to meet with him (Elechi) for consultation on his governorship ambition were not yielding fruits.
Worried by the development, few months before the party primaries, Umahi was compelled to consult Elechi on his ambition via a text message, but, in a reply, the latter distanced himself from the project.
Angered by the turn of events, Umahi took a plunge into the governorship race, dismantling every obstacle on his way to pick his party’s ticket.
Embarrassed by his deputy’s emergence as the PDP flag-bearer in the state against his will, Elechi proceeded to sack all his appointees suspected of having sympathy with the Umahi’s ambition.
The battle begins
That was the beginning of the epic political battle and intrigues that have seized Ebonyi. The former governor almost paid dearly for the power game.
In the heat of the election, while allegedly plotting to instal his brother-in-law, Edward Nkwegu of Labour Party (LP), Elechi was confronted with impeachable offences by the members of the House of Assembly. But he denied any wrong doing. Rather, he accused Umahi of being behind his travails, stressing that the impeachable allegations were levelled against him because of his refusal to support and bankroll Umahi’s governorship ambition. But Umahi urged him to leave him out of his predicament, advising him to clear himself of the allegations and stop pointing fingers at him.
When Umahi eventually won the governorship election, efforts were made by stakeholders in the state to reconcile him with his former boss. But the efforts failed to yield results, even before the May 29, 2015 hand-over date.
The major sign that things were not working out favourably began to emerge days before the hand-over date when Umahi’s campaign organisation – Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation – took to newspaper advertorials to announce that it would not participate in any pre- or post-inauguration programme organised by the out-going Elechi administration.
Ever since, it has been accusations, counter-accusations and lamentations galore from both sides. If the governor is not alleging bad governance, misappropriation of funds and outright embezzlement of state funds by his predecessor, the latter would be lamenting maltreatment and misrepresentation of his administration by Umahi and his “team”. He also accuses Umahi and officials of his administration of being behind his ordeals in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Last April, the former governor, in a thanksgiving programme to mark his birthday, which was holding the same day Umahi was burying his mother, Margaret, lashed out at his successor, accusing him of “lacking the spirit of accommodation”.
Elechi, who was speaking on the politics of his successor, first time since the end of the election, acknowledged that he promised Umahi that he would hand over to him in 2015. He added that he was sincerely committed to his promise until he discovered that Umahi “lacked certain values required of the occupant of the office of the governor, such as the spirit of tolerance and accommodation”.
The former governor noted that he was not regretting his position on the matter, insisting that given the opportunity again, he would do what he did. With that, many thought that their face-off was over.
But when Ebonyians thought that they were going to enjoy a break from the friction between the two elephants, the public was again rattled with another round of lamentations and accusations from the former governor against his successor.
Elechi on rampage
The former governor had, in a recent private correspondence to his successor, which incidentally got leaked to the public, accused him and his family of plethora of wrongs which included, among others, sponsoring frivolous petitions against him before the anti-graft agencies as well as discrediting and disparaging his administration.
Elechi was replying a letter from the governor conveying a Prado jeep bought at the rate of N29 million as Democracy Day gift to him “for his meritorious and selfless services to the state”. The letter was dated June 2, 2016. In it, he thanked the governor for considering him worthy for an award, adding however that in considering the reasons for which the award was being made, he was at a loss to convince himself that he fitted into the category of those slated for the honour.
“First, my role in promotion and sustenance of democracy in Ebonyi State from all indications is the antithesis of what is being practised in the present day Ebonyi State,” Elechi cited as one of the reasons for turning down the offer.
He recalled that his administration made impressive impact in the state on manpower development with institutional reforms, attitudinal change philosophy and infrastructural development. He further remarked that when he brought Umahi on board in 2011 as his deputy, he (Umahi) was made the Chairman of the Executive Council Committee on Inspection, during which period he never criticised or condemned the need, quality or pricing of any project undertaken by the administration.
“But with your assumption of office on May 29, 2015, every one of my projects had become a subject of public ridicule, outrage and outright condemnation. The only exception is probably the ultra-modern digital radio and television complex which I conceived of and completed from scratch to finish. It is not condemned or criticised because it is an organ by which I am regularly vilified and rubbished. The permanent secretaries I appointed and/or trained have been swept out of office for no known reason. Ebonyi is today the only state being governed without permanent secretaries,” the former governor tasked his successor.
He accused the governor and his team of being behind malicious and false petitions against him and two of his children before the EFCC.
According to Elechi, with so much calumny, defamation and outpouring of invectives and unabated fresh petitions against him almost on weekly basis, he was at a loss on how and why he was considered worthy of honour by the governor.
“Where and what are those ‘meritorious services’ that justify my consideration for a gift of car, when I am being hounded day and night with my children? Is this not the height of contradictions?” he asked
Elechi, in conclusion, reminded the governor that for the past 12 months, he had not been paid his salaries and second term severance allowance, which he said were his entitlements under the law of the state and not favour.
Umahi fights back
Umahi, however, fired back, accusing his predecessor of lying by claiming that he (Umahi) was the Chairman of the Executive Council Committee on Inspection during his second tenure as the governor. He also denied any wrongdoing against his former boss. He rather accused Elechi of using EFCC to distract his government, in addition to other antics.
The governor spoke during an agricultural summit with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) held at International Conference Centre, Abakaliki, penultimate Thursday.
He, however, admitted that he was on occasions drafted to a monitoring team when there were some engineering difficulties in some projects during Elechi’s second tenure, stressing that he saved the state from certain wastes in such instances. For example, Umahi said he saved the state N1.6 billion when he was drafted to Agba Bridge Project, in addition to helping to revive Oferekpe Water Project when it had almost come to a halt.
He said it was the Secretary to the State Government (SSG)’s own choice of words to have stated in the government’s letter to the former governor that the car gift was in recognition of his role in the promotion of democracy in Ebonyi and for other meritorious services.
He emphasised that the car gifts were meant for former governors (including Sam Egwu, Ogbonnaya Onu) and a former Senate president (Anyim Pius Anyim), and was never for any other reason.
Umahi said rejecting the car was not the best, as Elechi had written to him when he assumed office to give his wife two cars which he quickly obliged.
He also faulted the portion of the letter where the former governor said he never advised him, saying: “How can I advise somebody who does not take advice and never changes his mind when he says something?”
Umahi said part of the petitions that has made Elechi regular visitor to EFCC was written when both of them were in power and was never from him (Umahi).
The governor claimed he had pleaded with EFCC to leave his erstwhile principal because of his old age, with a promise that if there was anywhere they found him wanting in money, he (Umahi) was going to pay. The gesture, he said, was because it was Elechi that brought him to leadership, adding however that his children were not going to benefit from it.
“The children should face whatever offence they committed,” Umahi stressed.
He explained that the cost of most of the contracts awarded by the former governor were inflated.
Umahi wondered why the former governor, whom he served alongside his family as a slave, could be harbouring ill-feelings against him. He added that his commissioners had been regular visitors to Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) on the account of trumped up charges by Elechi and his loyalists.
He said he was ready to give Elechi peace and expressed his readiness and willingness for a roundtable reconciliation.
CAN to the rescue?
Expectations, for now, are that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) would intervene in the consuming feud. This is especially as Umahi has given CAN officials the leeway to initiate and mediate in fresh reconciliation moves between him and his former boss.
On their own, ordinary citizens of the state are concerned at the dimensions of the impasse between the two leaders, urging them to close ranks and bury their differences for the interest of the state.