You Lied On My Defection To APC, Umahi Tells Fani-Kayode

The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has faulted the claim by a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, that he played a role in his (Umahi’s) defection and those of two other Governors to the All Progressives Congress.

 

Umahi spoke on Channels Television in the early hours of Friday following Fani-Kayode’s claim on Thursday in Abuja.

 

Fani-Kayode had after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC, said he played a role in the defection of Umahi and those of Governors of Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Bello Matawale of Zamfara State.

 

He equally said he and his friends were working on the defection of Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, to the APC.

 

 

 

But Umahi, who spoke on Channels TV Sunrise Daily, said: “For someone to come and say that a whole Chairman of the South East Governors Forum, that he was instrumental to my movement from PDP to APC is an insult on my person and with all due respect, he has to withdraw that statement.

 

“A whole governor of the state and then not even a small governor, an experienced governor.

During Thursday’s interview, he explained that part of his reason was to move the southeast to the center of administration.

“I moved to close the gap between the center and the southeast, which our forefathers fought for, like Nnamdi Azikwe.

 

“So, for somebody to come and say that a whole chairman of the southeast governor’s forum, he was instrumental to that, it’s a bitter insult to my person and with all due respect, he has to withdraw the statement.

 

“He remains my friend and a good one for that matter, but he played no role in my movement and I’m sure he didn’t play no role in the movement of the rest of us,” Governor Umahi stressed.

 

“He remains my friend and a good one for that matter, but he played no role in my movement and I am sure he didn’t play any role in the movement of the rest of us.”