By Osahon Osahon
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has rebuffed Femi Fain-Kayode’s claim that he was instrumental to his (Umahi’s) defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following his meeting President Buhari on Thursday, Fain-Kayode had while addressing the press over his defection to the APC, claimed responsibility for the defection of Governors David Umahi (Ebonyi) and Ben Ayade (Cross River).
The former Aviation Minister added that he was equally wooing three more Governors in PDP, namely, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Ifeanyi Uguanyi of Enugu State, to join the ruling party.
However, Governor Umahi said Fain-Kayode lied, demanding that he withdraws his statement, which he described as an insult to his person.
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According to him Fani-Kayode is just a “man” and cannot be instrumental to a governor’s decision.
Umahi who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, said:
“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?”, he asked.
Umahi added that he is “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 southeast close to the center. I moved to close the gap between the center and southeast which our forefathers 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.”
