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By Kassim Omomia
Former President of the Senate , Anyim Pius Anyim , has accused Ebonyi State Governor,Chief David Umahi, of political vendetta because notable political leaders in the state, including himself declined to decamp to the All Progressives Congress APC, along with the Governor
Anyim who stated this, in addition to several weighty issues and contentious insights he revealed concerning the present political situation in the State, arising from the governor’s move to the ruling APC, wondered how and when it has become an offence for not moving with the Governor to the APC .
The Ex- Secretary to the Government of the Federation also, noted in an open letter to the Governor, titled “OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR DAVID UMAHI ON HIS WILD, INFANTILE, AND UTTERLY SENSELESS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MY PERSON” of which copies were made to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria , Inspector – General of Police, Director – General, State Security Service and the Chief of Defence Staff , that the only offence they committed was refusing to follow Gov Umahi in his political adventure.
“The only offence we committed is that we refused to follow Gov. Umahi in his political adventure”, adding that they do not know when belonging to parties of one’s choice has become an offence against a Governor or means fighting a Governor
The former Senate President, who particularly reacted to a notable and well circulated media briefing personally addressed by the governor, where himself, a former Governor of the State, Senator Sam Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba ,Mr Ali Odefa and other prominent leaders , were accused of planning to use cultists and members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to kill and cause crisis to destabilize the state government, stated that, given the Governor’s antecedents , that he is the one plotting to cause mayhem and upheaval in the state to achieve his selfish ambition
Anyim explained that ordinarily, he would not have responded to Umahi’s rantings, if not for anything, but to put the records straight
“I would not have bothered to respond to this gibberish by a sinking man but for the compelling need to put the records straight and forewarn the public about the sinister plans of a man who personifies everything ignoble, shameless and despicable”.
“People who know Gov. Umahi know that he normally starts this way whenever he is hatching a sinister plan. He raises dusts, makes wild allegations and accusations against people just to divert the attention of the public before he strikes.” the Ex- Senate President also stated
Recall that the Governor had stated thus in the widely circulated media briefing on the 27th November after a formal Ebonyi State security council meeting that: “I want the media to note, that I reported an allegation that some Ebonyi people are engaging cultists and according to them some IPOB Members to start killing and causing crisis in Ebonyi State in the name of fighting Ebonyi State Government and the governor and their leader is Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and their members are Dr. Sam Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba, Mr. Ali Odefa and others……The same Senator Anyim Pius Anyim fought the former Governor Sam Egwu and many people were killed.
I have also directed Security Agencies to ensure the implementation of policies on tinted glasses of vehicles in the state, the use of a siren and then their police escort…. If they try to fight the State, this will be their last fight, they will not fight again”.
But responding further, Anyim described Governor Umahi as pitiably delusional , a prisoner of his own greed and inordinate ambition , who was drowning and looking for who to drag down with him.
He said the Governor of made a terrible mistake after his misadventures by taking on him and respected , commited and leaders with integrity of the State who have served and still serving the state
Giving light to the matter, Anyim said “The case at hand is his defection to APC on the 19th of November, 2020”.
“The discerning public knows that he has been on the plan for a long time and when he decided to consummate it, he suddenly concocted an accusation against PDP, that PDP was not willing to zone Presidency to the South East, pointing that , “when he spews these allegations, he would not even mind whether they make sense or not.”
He stated that the governor did not have the mental capacity to reason that no party in less than two years into a new term would bring the next election unto the front burner, not even in APC where he has gone to, where the issue of next election is not yet on the table as doing so would distract the government.
According to him, it is public knowledge that Gov. Umahi had been planning his defection to the All Progressive Congress, APC for a long time without consulting notable people even before consummating the idea, because in his delusion, he believed his own lies that he is the only man who matters in Ebonyi State and therefore no person of note followed him.
Speaking more about the underpinnings, Senator Anyim, explained that while the Governor was unable to contain and manage the unsavory reactions from the public after he decamped, he ran to his home in the company of some high-profile people, on the 20th of November 2020, and pleaded with him,(Anyim) to defect to APC, saying that if I do, others will follow suit.
” I pointed out to him that his approach has made it almost impossible for anybody to defect” the Ex- Senate President said, adding that the Governor pleaded with him , that if he cannot defect now, he should not attend any PDP meetings.
“And I said no, I must attend PDP meetings as long as I am in PDP.
But realizing that he could not persuade anybody when he saw the crème of Ebonyi Elders and citizen that gathered for the inauguration of PDP Caretaker Committee, he could no longer sleep and declared war on every one who has refused to defect with him.
According to the former Federal government scribe, “I would not have taken his present spew of baseless allegations seriously, but because I suspect he is under a spell and perhaps something is pursuing him. He may have been told that he will need to kill before he would achieve his present enterprise and so to build up a scenario for him to kill, he will need to spew allegations of killings even when they make no sense”
He added, “I have no doubt that Governor Umahi may have been told that he needed blood to accomplish his present enterprise, otherwise how can a man in his 6th year as Governor of a State suddenly realise that a former President of the Senate, a former Governor of the State and two-time serving Senator Dr. Sam Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba, two time serving Senator, are now cultists and IPOB members. Something is wrong somewhere.”
“It is obvious that either something is pursuing Governor Umahi or that he is pursuing something. For those who know him well, please notice that his lips have shifted out of shape and his eye balls shrinking. Something is pursuing Gov. Umahi” he declared
He warned, therefore, that the Governor’s modus operandi and moves are well known and easily predictable, given his past dealings with Pastor Ephraim Ononye ,Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh , a former SSG of the state and a journalist,Charles Otu, which were unpalatable.
Anyim who underscored the purpose of this detailed insights in the current political situation in the state, said it was to alert the public and the security agencies in particular on the schemes of the Governor, so that they will read him upfront and be wary of him and his allegations.
He alleged that the Governor plans to use Security agencies, the EFCC, the Attorney General of the Federation and Judges against them and the PDP, so that the party cannot function in the state
Similarly he raised the alarm of alleged plan to kill him
” I want to notify the public that I fully understand that what Umahi meant by *“this will be the last fight I will fight”, is that he will kill me so that I will not live to fight again*. While I invite the security agencies to note this plan, I want to assure Gov. Umahi that my blood is not available for him in pursuit of his ambition” he noted, adding that no amount of blackmail or intimidation will compel any of them to follow him, even though that “there is a record of those who died mysteriously, violently, and those who just disappeared since he became governor of Ebonyi State”Ayim, stated further
