TheCable

Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, says he will mobilise 50,000 people to welcome Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for a rally in the state.

Umahi spoke on Monday during an interview with Channels Television.

Speaking on the strength of APC in Ebonyi, the governor said no other political party, aside from the APC, exists in the state.

Umahi said his achievements in the state cannot be denied, adding that no political party can challenge his performance.

“If somebody tells you that there is another political party in Ebonyi apart from APC, you should ask the person to shut up,” he said.

“In the sense that what I have done in Ebonyi, you can’t controvert it. I’m proud of what APC has done in Ebonyi state.

“By 22nd of this month, we are going to have a rally and I’m announcing that no support should come from any other state of the south-east, only Ebonyi.

“I’m going to put 50,000 Ebonyians in that field to welcome our presidential candidate. That is the strength of the APC.

“There is no opposition party in Ebonyi state. It is only APC.”

‘I’M NOT INTIMIDATING ANYBODY’

Speaking on the criticism trailing thr executive order banning political campaigns in public schools, Umahi said the order is not designed to intimidate anyone.

The Ebonyi governor said political rallies can take place in public schools in the state if approval is granted by the state ministry of education.

“Nobody is intimidating anybody. I’m not the first governor that is making an executive order banning the use of schools and markets for rallies without permission,” he added.

“Let me make the records straight, what we have said is that if there is a boarding school, especially for females, we don’t want rallies to take place there because there have been cases of rape in the past in the name of political party rallies.

“If you want to use the primary or secondary schools, please, we will like you to take permission from the ministry of education and we said the ministry cannot withhold access.

“What we mean is that a political party, including APC, that is going to do rally in schools and markets must have means of passing waste, cleaning of the premises, and if they destroy the school infrastructure, they have to replace it.

“So, we have not banned anybody from using these premises.”