Umahi To IPOB: You Can’t Stop Buhari From Visiting

Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi has said the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) cannot stop President Muhammadu Buhari from visiting any state in the Southeast.

He was reacting to a statement credited to IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful last week in which the group warned President Buhari to shelve his planned visit to Ebonyi.

The governor expressed dissatisfaction with the group’s stance while speaking at a special end of the year thanksgiving service of the state at the new government house chapel, centenary city, Ebonyi.

Buhari was to visit Ebonyi in November to commission some projects, but Umahi said he and the President agreed to shelve the meeting till next year.

He said: “I saw where one misguided element that calls itself IPOB said Mr President was not welcomed in Ebonyi.

“He (IPOB spokesman) is inconsequential and I want you to put it on social media. He is so inconsequential.

“I was in Paris and I told Mr President that the leaders of Southeast would want to visit him over the issue of peace in the region and appealed to him to postpone the visit till early next year.

“But I didn’t want to tell our people, because I was urging them to keep pushing our projects as if the President was going to come this year. And I’m not sure up to three or four people knew this; so, I kept it to myself.

“So, Mr. President will come when we want him to come. That IPOB guy is an inconsequential human being.

“If he is serious, let him hit the wall and come to Ebonyi State and let him see if he would find feet to go back.

“Somebody will sit somewhere and be talking rubbish and they will be misleading our children to go and be killed; but, himself will not be at the war front.

“Any of them that will talk rubbish about security in the Southeast should come and lead the war. And I will also lead the war for Ebonyi State.

“Like David, we will always kill Goliath. When they talk rubbish, just ignore them. This land belongs to God.”

Umahi again debunked reports he was planning to return to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He said he was satisfied with the peace in the All Progressive Congress (APC) which he joined one year ago from the PDP.

“They said I want to return to PDP, with all these achievements? That man that does not even have a road to his house, I say may God not forgive him.

“I say thank you to the opposition in Ebonyi State. Opposition in Ebonyi State is about bitterness and that is not how it is supposed to be,” he said.