EBONYI State Governor David Umahi has faulted claims by former minister of aviation that he played a role in his defection to the All Progressives Congress.
Umahi, who stated this during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, said the former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode needed to withdraw the statement and apologise because it was insulting to his personality and the ‘influence’ he wielded in the South-East zone.
He said that Fani-Kayode, whom he described as his good friend, had no input in his move to the APC.
“I think he needs to withdraw that statement. He is my good friend but it was an insult to my person and the other governors,” he said.
“The man did not know when I moved but he incidentally visited me and he said he’s coming to join me with the other governors to declare. How would someone in the PDP be instrumental in my moving. A whole governor of a state, not even a small governor, an experienced one.
“He has to withdraw his statement. He was never part of any discussion of my movement.”
Umahi claimed that his defection to the APC was to serve as a bridge between the APC-controlled central government and the people of the South-East.
“I moved South-East to the centre of administration. I moved to close the gap between the centre and South-East, which our forefathers like Nnamdi Azikwe fought for.
“For somebody to say that he’s instrumental in the movement of a whole chairman of South-East Governors Forum is a bit of an insult to my person. And with all due respect, he has to withdraw that statement.”
Shortly after he defected to the APC on Thursday, Fani-Kayode claimed that he aided three governors of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, including the Ebonyi State governor, Cross State Governor Ben Ayade, and Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle to the ruling party.
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