Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has advised politicians in the opposition not to insult those in government but to criticise them constructively to enhance development.
Umahi spoke at a gala-night to celebrate 21 years of the creation of Ebonyi and the 57th Independence anniversary of Nigeria in Abakaliki on Sunday.
He advised members of his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to refrain from insulting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government.
The governor also urged members of APC in Ebonyi to refrain from insulting him and his PDP-led state government.
“I always tell my people (PDP) that opposition at the centre is not about insults; I also advise the opposition in our state to tow the same line.
“Opposition is about constructive criticism, putting the leader in check and reminding him that he has not fulfilled the promises he made.
“It should not involve lying to the people, deceiving them and practising politics with bitterness and anger.
“I will ask our grandfathers who are tackling us to do so with wisdom and love because it is a shame that a grandfather would tackle his children,” he said.
Umahi said that the opposition would not succeed in the state because the state was neat and did not need to be ‘swept.
“We have been holding the umbrella for an old man who was under the umbrella for eight years and we will take him to the boundaries of Ebonyi to sweep.
“We are standing on God’s mandate and not shaking because over 10,000 people are praying for us day and night to succeed and take the state to another level, “ he said.
Umahi commended the president for agreeing that the country needed to be restructured and noted that such stance had established a platform for Nigerians to discuss their agitations.
“We will now talk, disagree, agree and arrive at decisions that will take the nation to greater heights and achieve the desired unity and development,” he said.
Augustine Nwankwagu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, said the party was to celebrate God’s mercies since the state’s creation and the successes of the governor.
The governor has been heavily criticised for his actions by the opposition, with his predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi, who decamped from PDP to APC, leading the critics.
Elechi during a recent interview told newsmen that he did not support Umahi’s emergence as governor and would not support his re-election for a second term in office.