Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi state, has tested positive for coronavirus.

The governor broke the news in a statement he personally signed on Saturday.

The statement said the result of the test conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) came back positive.

Some aides of Umahi also tested positive.

The governor has directed Kelechi Igwe, his deputy, to take over the frontline coordination of the state’s fight against the pandemic.

Umahi, who said he is not showing any symptom at the moment, appealed to the people of Ebonyi to take the NCDC protocols more seriously.

He said for now, he would work from home and conduct all meetings virtually.

According to the NCDC, Ebonyi has recorded at least 438 cases of the virus, as of Friday evening.

Also, about 357 persons have been successfully treated and discharged while three have died.

After sending his samples for test, Umahi had said his deputy would coordinate the fight against COVID-19 if his result came back positive.

“If I test positive, my deputy will carry on with the fight as a frontline worker, but we will be extremely careful and use zoom to do our jobs. No retreat, no surrender! We will fight this COVID-19 matter to the end,” he had told cabinet members in Abakaliki, the state capital.

“We will have the public hearing on our proposed plan of the COVID-19 fight next week and either me or my deputy will head the meeting, and I will contribute through zoom, if I test positive.”

(Witness)