By Emeka Okafor
Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, has given reasons why a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Pius Anyim, and other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not defect with him to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Umahi said Anyim, a former Senate President, botched his defection to APC when he discovered that he had paid a private visit to President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of his recent defection to the ruling party at the federal.
The governor said Anyim and National Assembly members from the state were consulted before joining APC.
He spoke on Sunday at APC stakeholders’ meeting at the Bouquet Lodge, Old Government House, Abakaliki, the state capital.
Umahi revealed that the original plan was for him to defect with Anyim and other leaders to join him in APC two weeks later.
He noted that Anyim, National Assembly members and elders of the PDP in the state gave nod to the plan before joining the ruling APC.
The governor disclosed further that the grievance of the national lawmakers and other leaders was that “I outsmarted them by joining APC before them.”
“They actually wanted to join APC before him. They were planning to ambush me, but it is difficult to catch the air,” he said.
ALSO READ: 27-Year-Old Man Killed After Reportedly Winning ‘N15m Betting Game’ In Warri
He, however, threatened to publish list of things he had done for leaders of the PDP in the state.
“All these people that came together to fight me, they collect contracts, they collect monthly pay, they collect vehicles. And when they are asked to bring people that worked for us, they will bring their wives, children and relations.
“Now, they are dressing words for us. We are in chapter one, in Chapter two, I will publish all that I have done for the leaders of this state”, Umahi stated.
Reacting to allegations that Anyim sponsored his governorship election, he explained, “I was a deputy governor, somebody occupying the highest position from the Southeast (referring to Anyim) went and arranged for a N5 billion loan for me to prosecute the presidential election for his government. I had to sell many of my property to pay back that money.”
“let me tell you, I’m not afraid of anybody but I respect everybody. But I have said that if God sent me, this will be the last fight in this state.”
