The choice of a running mate has become a test of trust for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, as governorship candidate Eric Opah says he deliberately took time before picking Dr Godswill Egbe.
Opah presented Egbe to APC members in Umuahia on Monday ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He said his concern was not simply to fill the deputy governorship slot, but to choose someone who could work with him without constant disagreements.
“If you want to choose somebody to work with, you have to make sure that it is not somebody who will give you trouble,” Opah said.
He said disagreements between governors and their deputies often affect their relationship, giving him reason to take time before settling on Egbe.
“So, because running mate and deputy governor positions often come with disagreements with the principal, I took my time. I have to tell our party members, this is a man of integrity,” he said.
Egbe promises loyalty to his principal
Egbe, responding to the nomination, focused on his willingness to work under Opah’s leadership.
He promised to support the candidate’s vision and work with the APC manifesto if they win the election.
“I will align with the manifesto. I will give in, and I will really be a support to realise that vision,” Egbe said.
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He also pledged to stand firmly behind Opah if they secure the APC ticket’s expected victory in the 2027 election.
“I will stand by Opah firmly, strongly, honestly, resolutely, and we are running to win,” he said.
Egbe also tied the party’s campaign to securing victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he referred to as the leader of the APC.
“We are committed to winning. We are committed also to be the champion, to give our father, the leader of APC, (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) the resounding victory that he requires,” he said.
The Abia APC chairman, Chijioke Chukwu, also endorsed Egbe, calling him “not just a man of integrity, but a chosen man of God’s will.”
Opah sets out what he wants from ticket
Beyond the partnership between the two men, Opah used the presentation to set out some promises he said would guide an APC government in Abia.
He said his administration would use public funds for work that residents can see and would not claim projects that were not completed.
“Agu Egbe will work with me in honesty to use Abia money to work for Abians. We are not going to claim 400 roads when we build 20. We are going to ensure that we create jobs for Abians,” he said.
Opah also made his position on the election clear, saying the APC was seeking victory in 2027.
“Let me make it very clear. We are running this election. APC is running this election to win,” he said.
He said Egbe was a man whom Abians and APC members would be proud of.
The unveiling in Umuahia has now publicly established Egbe as Opah’s running mate, with both men presenting unity and loyalty as part of their campaign message for the 2027 election.
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