Former Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, has advised the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to be cautious of the widespread praise he is currently receiving.

Elechi gave the advice on Saturday during a civic reception held in honour of the minister at Okposi Okwu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area.

The former governor, who handed over to Umahi in 2015, warned that while some praises are well-deserved, others may be insincere or have hidden motives.

“You deserve the praise being showered on you, but many are traps,” Elechi said.

“They are either trying to gain favours from you or attempting to mislead you.”

Elechi reflected on Umahi’s political journey, recalling how his impressive leadership as PDP Chairman in Ebonyi State led to his selection as deputy governor in 2011.

“The way he managed party affairs reminded me of my time as NPN Secretary in the Second Republic,” he 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 urged Umahi to stay focused and not allow flattery or distractions to derail his responsibilities as Minister of Works.

“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.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Elechi and Umahi had a political falling-out ahead of the 2015 elections, when Umahi sought to succeed Elechi as governor—an ambition the then-governor opposed. The disagreement led to heightened political tensions in Ebonyi and Elechi’s eventual defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the two later reconciled, and their relationship was further strengthened after Umahi also joined the APC.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/04/elechi-cautions-umahi-against-flattering-praises/