Former Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, has urged Senator David Umahi, Minister of Works, to tread carefully amid growing public acclaim, warning that not all praises are genuine.
Elechi made the remarks on Saturday during a civic reception held in Umahi’s honour at Okposi Okwu, Ohaozara Local Government Area.
“You deserve the praise being showered on you, but many are traps,” Elechi cautioned. “They are either trying to gain favours from you or attempting to mislead you.”
Reflecting on Umahi’s political trajectory, Elechi recalled how the minister’s leadership as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State paved the way for his emergence as deputy governor in 2011.
“The way he managed party affairs reminded me of my time as NPN Secretary in the Second Republic,” Elechi noted.
“I asked him to prepare to run with me in the 2011 elections, and Ebonyi people overwhelmingly supported us. I remain the only Nigerian truly qualified to call him my son.”
He emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and guarding against distractions, even when they come in the form of commendation.
“From party chairman to minister, everything he has done makes us proud. I am proud because he is my political product, and I pray for God’s continued guidance over his life,” Elechi said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) notes that the relationship between Elechi and Umahi had once soured during the lead-up to the 2015 general elections.
Umahi’s ambition to succeed Elechi as governor sparked tensions, as the then-governor did not endorse the bid.
The political disagreement eventually led to Elechi’s defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
