Tobi Adebayo
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has said that former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode did not influence his defection to the All Progressives Congress, as claimed by him.
Umahi debunked Fani-Kayode’s statement while speaking on Channels TV programme, Politics Today, on Friday.
Fani-Kayode, while speaking after his defection to the APC on Thursday, said that he influenced three Peoples Democratic Party governors to move to the ruling party.
They include Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle, Umahi and Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade.
Dismissing the claim, Umahi said Fani-Kayode was never instrumental to his defection.
“I think he needs to withdraw that statement, he’s my good friend but it was an insult to my person and the other governors.
“The man did not know when I moved but he incidentally visited me and he said he’s coming to join me with the other governors to declare. How would someone in the PDP be instrumental in my moving? A whole governor of a state, not even a small governor, an experienced one.
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“He has to withdraw his statement. He was never part of any discussion of my movement. I moved South-East to the centre of administration. I moved to close the gap between the centre and South-East, which our forefathers like Nnamdi Azikwe fought for.
“For somebody to say that he’s instrumental to the movement of a whole chairman of south-east governors forum is a bit of an insult to my person. And with all due respect, he has to withdraw that statement.
“He remains my friend, a good one for that matter but he played no role in my movement and I’m sure he played no role in the movement of the rest of the governors,” he said,
