By Akanimo Sampson & Matilda Omonaiye/
Hours after reports of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi State governor, Chief Dave Umahi, has denied move.
Making clarifications while briefing journalists at the Executive Council chamber in Government House, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital, Umahi said that he could never be in the same political party with failed leaders in the state.
He cautioned that people should not mistake his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari for an indication that he was joining the APC. He added that his relationship with Buhari was personal.
Umahi also said that neither the President nor APC chieftains had ever asked him to join APC ahead of the 2019 general elections.
His words: “The clarification is that my relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari is because he is Mr President, and he is my boss and the relationship is personal.
“Mr President or any APC person has never asked me to come to APC, and they will never ask me, and there is no reason for me to leave my party PDP of which I have been the party chairman, deputy governor and now governor.
“I have always insisted on character and anybody who jumps from one party to another should examine his or her character, except if there is any problem within your party.
“As for today until Christ comes, there is no crisis in PDP. Even if there is a need for me to leave PDP, I can never leave PDP to join the kind of APC in Ebonyi State.
“With the kind of leaders in Ebonyi State, leaders that have failed Ebonyi State. So, I can never be on the same political platform with them.
“I am focused to do my job. I am focused on governance. I have always insisted that we should leave party politics to our party men and women. As soon as you are elected, you should focus on your job. The fever that has been griping me since the day I was elected was for me to do my job, the dividends of democracy and the plight of our people.
“So, they should leave me alone with this their dirty politics. I am focused; I am in PDP. As a member of PDP, I have benefited on the platform to be a party Chairman, to be a deputy governor, and now a Governor. I am a man of character.”
The earlier report stated that Umahi defected to APC as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) embarked on some activities.
The anti-graft agency had arrested Mr Austin Umahi, the governor’s brother over the role he allegedly played in disbursing funds used to bribe electoral officers during the 2015 elections. The funds were said to have emanated from a former Petroleum Resources Minister.
The EFCC also arrested two other associates of Austin, whose names were given as Chinyere Egwuche and Mabel Dikibo.
According to the anti-graft agency, the trio received N400 million from the oil minister through Senator Nenadi Usman who was the director of finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation.
Speaking through Senator Emmanuel Onwe, his commissioner for information and state orientation, Umahi said that the speculation of his defection was false. He stressed that the speculation was the figment of the imagination of those behind the rumour.
The governor had said he was going nowhere. His statement read: ‘’There has been speculation as to whether the Governor of Ebonyi state is moving to the APC or whether he is remaining in PDP, and who is going with him and who is not going with him.
“I want to address this matter hopefully once and for all, for all Nigerians to understand that Governor Umahi is one of the centre pillars of the PDP.’’
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