‘Do not reduce me to a Public Relations stunt,’ Umahi warns Fani-Kayode
Barely 24 hours after former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one-time Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), claims credited to the latter over facilitating the departures of three governors to the ruling party have irked the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, who was included in the list.
Addressing State House Correspondents after his presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Thursday, by the APC Caretaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, Fani-Kayode claimed he is also working to bring three other state governors to the party.
“If you ask my friend and brother, Governor Matawale here, there are many people within the PDP, who really do want to come over to the APC.
“I can tell you that, I was there and very instrumental when Governor Umahi joined the APC.
“I was there and very instrumental when Governor Ayade did the same thing. I was there and very instrumental when my friend and brother, governor of Zamfara, Governor Matawale did the same thing”, Fani-Kayode claimed.
However, reacting to the claims by Fani-Kayode that he facilitated his defection from the PDP, Umahi, the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, called it ‘an insult on a big governor’ like himself.
Speaking, Friday morning, during a Channels Television programme’ Sunrise Daily,’ Umahi lashed Fani-Kayode for the comments, as he restated that his joining the APC was not through a third-party, but by himself alone.
“I will not take it from Femi Fani-Kayode that he made me to join APC. It’s an insult to a big Governor like me. I joined APC on my own to tow the part of our founding fathers like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who took the Eastern Region to the central government. I took my people back to the center on my own and not by any Fani-Kayode,” Umahi fumed.
The Ebonyi further warned Fani-Kayode to take back his words and refrain from further reducing him to a Public Relations stunt.