Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has said the people of the state will not vote for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in the 2023 general election.

Umahi said the votes of Ebonyi State only belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor said this during the swearing-in ceremony of five Commissioners and two Special Assistants into his cabinet on Monday.

The event was held at the Exco chambers of the new Government House, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

This is coming barely two days after Governor Umahi berated the South-East zone’s delegates in the just-concluded APC presidential primaries, saying they “traded” their votes.

The governor made the declaration on Saturday at his hometown, Uburu, during the maiden matriculation ceremony of the King David University of Medical Sciences.

Umahi garnered 38 votes in the primaries which was won by APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, who polled 1271 votes.

He added that no one should henceforth complain of marginalisation of the Igbos due to the delegates’ conduct.

READ ALSO: Umahi slams South-East delegates at APC primaries

However, Governor Umahi, while speaking on Monday said: “We will not vote for Labour Party, we will only vote for APC. Our vote is for APC and not for Labour Party.

“Our agenda is Ebonyi agenda. We will vote for our presidential candidate in the person of Tinubu. We must strive to liberate Ebonyi State and that is our agenda.”

The newly appointed commissioners took over from their predecessors who resigned from their positions to contest the 2023 general election.

The newly sworn-in commissioners include Mr Celestine Nwali (Capital Territory Development), Chief Mattias Adum (Lands and Survey), Chief Chris Uchaji (Solid Mineral Development), Mrs Beatrice Eze (Culture and Tourism), and Chief Romanus Nwasum (Infrastructural Development for Concession).

Chief Chuks Okoh was sworn in as Special Assistant on Strategy, while Mr Uchenna Out was sworn in as Special Assistant on Transport.

The Star