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By Florence Akintola
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has rubbished the claims of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, that he contributed to his (Umahi’s) defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Fani-Kayode had on Thursday, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, claimed responsibility for the defection of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, to APC, adding that he was equally wooing three more PDP governors in to join the ruling party.
The ex-Minister listed the governors to include Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Bala Mohammed of (Bauchi) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)
But speaking on Channels Television programme, ‘Politics Today’, on Friday, Umahi asked Fani-Kayode to withdraw his statement, saying, he is just a man and cannot be instrumental to a governor’s decision.
“I think he needs to withdraw that statement, he’s my good friend bit 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 Peoples Democratic Party be instrumental to my moving?” Umahi asked.
He continued: “A whole governor of a state and not even a small governor but an experienced governor, so, he (Fani-Kayode) has to withdraw the statement. He was never part of any discussion of my movement.
“I moved to APC to move South East close to the centre. I moved to close the gap between the centre and South East which our fore fathers like Nnamdi Azikwe fought for.
“So, for somebody to come and say to the whole Chairman of Governors in South East, that he was instrumental to my decision, is a bit of an insult to my person and with due respect, he (Fani-kayode) has to withdraw that statement. He played no role in my movement and I know he didn’t play any role in the movement of others.”