President Muhammadu Buhari says he is proud of Ebonyi State Governor , David Umahi , for defecting to the All Progressives Congress.
The president commended the defection of Umahi to APC , describing it “ as a bold move driven purely by principle rather than opportunistic motives. ”
This was contained in a press statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President , Garba Shehu , on Wednesday .
The statement was titled , ‘ President Buhari praises Umahi’ s defection , says it’ s based on principle rather than coercion’ .
It quoted Buhari as saying , “ I am proud of Governor David Umahi for taking this bold decision in accordance with his conscience and principles rather than any external influence or coercion .
“ Good governance is very important to us in the APC , and I ’ m glad that the governor has cited this as a major factor in his decision to join us . I urge our citizens to pay less emphasis on identity politics if we want our democracy to make a positive impact on our foundry. ”
He noted that “ with men like Umahi, I foresee a brighter future for our democracy because the voters will be more motivated by performance records of parties and their candidates. ”
“ Let me once again ; commend the boldness of Governor Umahi for taking this courageous decision in a country where principles are in short supply among many . I know people might call him names, but that is the price men of principles have to pay for acting according to their conscience and convictions, ” Buhari added .