Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has slammed fellow defector, Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, over the claim that he influenced his (the governor’s) defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) before his arrival from the PDP. The governor protested that the statement is an insult to his person. He cautioned Femi Fani-Kayode to withdraw the statement.
Femi Fani-Kayode on defecting formally from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, was taken to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, by the APC National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, and Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.
Thereafter, Gani-Kayode narrated how he contributed to the defection of Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State from the PDP to the ruling APC. The governor was furious, saying that Fani-Kayode never knew when he was defecting but only came to him after defection to indicate that he will be doing same soon.
Governor Umahi had declared: “I think he needs to withdraw that statement, he’s my good friend but, it was an insult on my person and the other governors.
“The man did not know when I moved, but incidentally he visited me and we discussed, and he said he was coming to join me with the other governors to declare.
“How will somebody in the PDP be instrumental to my moving?
“A whole Governor of the state and then, not even a small governor, an experienced Governor.
“So, he has to withdraw the statement, he was never part of any discussion of my movement.”
Governor Umahi on defecting from the PDP to the APC in November 2020, complained that the PDP has not been fair to the southeast by not offering the region its presidential ticket. He had agitated that the leading parties in Nigeria should zone the 2023 presidential tickets to the southeast.
Umahi further protested: “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.”