Ebonyi Governor David Umahi has revealed he actually planned his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim and National Assembly members from the state.
Umahi disclosed this while addressing APC stakeholders at a meeting in Abakaliki.
He said Anyim backed out of the plan because he (Umahi) went to see President Buhari over the defection plan without carrying him along.
According the Governor, the plan was for Anyim and other leaders to join him in APC two weeks after he must have successfully defected.
Umahi said he consulted all the National Assembly members and Elders from the State over his defection to APC, claiming all them approved the move and even agreed to defect with him.
He said the only grievance of the NASS members and other leaders was that he joined APC before them, revealing that they actually wanted to join APC before him.
“They were planning to ambush me, but it is difficult to catch the air,” he said.
Reacting to the allegation making the round that Anyim gave him N5bn to prosecute his governorship election in 2015, Umahi said: “I was a deputy Governor, somebody occupying the highest position from the Southeast (referring to Anyim) went and arranged for a N5bn naira loan for me to prosecute the presidential election for his government. I had to sell many of my properties to pay back that money.”
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Umahi vowed to fight those who antagonising him, saying “let me tell you, I’m not afraid of anybody but I respect everybody. But I have said that if God sent me, this will be the last fight in this state.”
He alleged former Governor Martin Elechi was also fought by the same people fighting him.
“All these people that came together to fight me, they collect contracts, they collect monthly pay, they collect vehicles. And when they are asked to bring people that worked for us, they will bring their wives, children and relations.
“Now, they are dressing words for us. We are in chapter one, in Chapter two, I will publish all that I have done for the leaders of this state,” Umahi vowed.
