Nigeria: 2023 - 'My Family Conspired Against Me to Vote Peter Obi' - Gov Umahi

The Labour Party candidate defeated the President-elect, Bola Tinubu in Ebonyi State.

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State says his family conspired against him to vote for the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 25 February presidential election in the state.

Mr Umahi, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this when he appeared as a guest on Channels TV's Politics Today, Monday night.

The governor said he did not give the LP and other political parties an opportunity to win any election in the state because of what he had "put in place" in the state.

"I was very surprised (that) even in my family, there was a conspiracy against me. I did not know that they (my family) voted for Peter Obi, but in the other election, they voted for APC because of what we've done in the state," he said.

Ebonyi State is considered one of the strongholds of Mr Obi in the election because he (Obi) hails from the South-east region.

The LP candidate polled a total of 252, 738 votes to defeat Mr Tinubu of the APC in Ebonyi State. The APC candidate came second with 42, 402 votes in the state.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, enjoyed swelling support mainly in the South-east during the exercise.

Why Buhari, Tinubu lost in Katsina and Lagos States

Speaking during the Channels TV programme, Mr Umahi expressed surprise that incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, and the APC candidate, Mr Tinubu, now president-elect, lost the presidential election in their states.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won the presidential election in Katsina State, where Mr Buhari, a member of the APC, hails from.

Similarly, Mr Obi of the LP won in Lagos State, where Mr Tinubu served as the governor between 1999 and 2007.

Mr Umahi said that the losses came in the form of a protest against the PDP and the APC as a result of hardship and other challenges in the country.

"I saw the Labour Party vote as a protest against my party (APC) and the PDP.

"It was not a vote for Peter Obi. As such, there is seemingly hardship and challenges in Nigeria," he said.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.