The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has dismissed insinuations in some quarters that he has backed out of the contest.
Odii said he is in the race to win the election and wipe out hunger and poverty in the state and will not step down as insinuated.
He stated this in an interview with journalists at his Isu hometown, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on Saturday night.
He declared that his party gave him the ticket and that he was contesting to offer a lot to the people of the state who he said are yearning for good governance.
Odii described the statement by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who said he will approach him to step down for Governor Francis Nwifuru, as political manoeuvring.
“My party, the Peoples Democratic Party gave me its mandate through consensus. That means they found me suitable, but there was a need for intervention. As such, I am contesting to be the governor of Ebonyi State because I have a lot to offer in government.
“On the issue of whether I would accept a request to step down, I am sure that is just political manoeuvring. I don’t think we have to undermine democracy. I believe every man knows what the constitution says, whether he is on the APC platform or the PDP platform, or whether he is my uncle.
“Like I said, I respect him, but I have not been asked by him to step down and I don’t think he should ask me to step down. I am contesting, and I want to say that I am still in the race. I am not giving up.
“I think you should be able to know me. You know my trajectory and how things have been. I am not even worried about the election because of myself.
“I have already got people who believe in me. I am very compassionate about how I want things to get better. When I look at how things are happening in Ebonyi, I am saddened.
“We should be talking about certain things and the general interests of the people, the betterment of Ebonyi, not only for today but for tomorrow.
“Good governance is what we need. Everybody should be concerned about it. A hungry man does not know whether he is coming from the South or the North.
“When you are hungry, nobody needs to tell you that you are hungry. We are trying to bring a government that will say goodbye to hunger in Ebonyi State,” the PDP gubernatorial candidate said.
He declared that he is contesting the governorship position to set Ebonyi State on a renewed path of progress, prosperity, and sustainable development.