Ugwuanyi berates Fani-Kayode over defection claims, calls ex-minister ‘a shameless liar’

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has berated former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode over statements credited to him where he claimed he is also working towards bring the Enugu governor to the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold soon.

Fani-Kayode had, Thursday, after his presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker chairman, Mai Mala Buni, told State House Correspondents that he personally facilitated the defection of three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) serving governors to the party, even as he disclosed that he is working on adding another three, including the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to the list of defectors.

The three governors he facilitated their defection, according to Fani-Kayode include; Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, David Umahi of Ebonyi State, and Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River.

“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 had claimed.

The former PDP chieftain also told the correspondents that his next mission will be to facilitate the defection of another three serving governors of the PDP, including, the Bauchi, Enugu and Oyo states governors to the APC.

Also present at the occasion was the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha.

However, responding to the claims by Fani-Kayode, Friday, the Enugu State Government berated the former minister and described him as a ‘shameless liar.’

Ugwuanyi, who responded to the claims of the former Aviation minister through his State Commissioner for Information, Chidi Aroh, stated that the possibility of him joining the APC is ‘unthinkable’, describing further that the claim by Fani-Kayode is ‘a distraction.’

The commissioner added that his boss is the chairman of the PDP zoning committee doing his work and also providing dividends of democracy to the people of Enugu.

“You should tell Fani-Kayode to explain more about what he said because my governor is the chairman of the PDP zoning committee doing his work in that committee and he is also providing dividends of democracy to the people of Enugu.”

It would be recalled that the Ebonyi State Governor, Umahi, who is also Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, called it ‘an insult on a big governor’ like himself for Fani-Kayode to claim that he facilitated his defection to the APC.

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.

“For someone to come and say that a whole Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, that he was instrumental to my movement from PDP to APC is an insult on my person and with all due respect, he has to withdraw that statement,” Umahi said.

“He remains my friend and a good one for that matter, but he played no role in my movement and I am sure he didn’t play any role in the movement of the rest of us.”