As the 2023 general elections were drawing closer, Ebonyi Governor David Umahi said that those who opposed his divine mandate legacy following his 2015 and 2019 victory as the Chief Servant of the State would not be his successor in 2023.
Umahi stated this at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium Abakaliki while addressing the Ebonyi people on the occasion of Nigeria's 62nd and Ebonyi State's 26th Independence Day Anniversary on Sunday 1st October 2022.
The governor declared openly that the erstwhile Secretary to the State Government, who is now the Ebonyi APGA gubernatorial candidate, Professor Bernard Odoh, would not accomplish his 2023 ambition, for having opposed his leadership.
Umahi cautioned Ebonyi people to be wary of those who are vying for the apex seat in the state, just to milk money from the citizens.
He maintained that none of those who had opposed his administration would be the governor of the state, let alone of becoming his immediate successor in 2023.
His words: "He's a professor, I have only a first degree, but I was correcting his memo when he was the Secretary to the State Government.
"Now you should ask him how he became a professor. Can he tell Ebonyians his contributions as a Secretary to the State Government? He was the first person who said, that I'm building a flyover where there's no water.
"This man should go back to the classroom. Ebonyi people must be wary of those who pretend to contest election to use it to milk money from our people because they will never be governor by the power of the Holy Spirit.
"If you ever betrayed this Divine Mandate Man here, you will not win the election. You have your gift, but this is my gift. Try and see, is this not okay? I'm dangerously anointed."
Umahi had earlier in his speech proclaimed that his successor must come from Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone.
He urged the Ebonyi people to continue to support the principle of the rotation of power, especially on the gubernatorial seat as a way of promoting the spirit of fairness, equity and social justice in the state which led to his victory in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
He said: "Ebonyi North must be governor of our state in 2023. When it was our turn, they abandoned their son and supported me for two terms, and we won.
"Their sons were contesting from Ebonyi North and Central, they said, 'No,' for fairness, equity and justice to reign in this state."
He added: "Any Abakaliki man that is supporting that after me that the Ebonyi South should still produce my successor, you have to trace his paternity.
"After the Ebonyi North, it will come to Central, after, Central, it will come back to the South.
"In the South, if you support Ebonyi North now, they will support you when it reaches your turn. No, be so?"
