AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
GOVERNOR David Umahi of Ebonyi State disclosed on Sunday that former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim backed out of a collective plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress because he (Umahi) went to see President Muhammadu Buhari before the actual defection.
He added that the original plan was for other key leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, including Anyim, to join him in APC, two weeks after he must have officially defected to the ruling party.
Umahi spoke during a meeting with APC stakeholders in Abakaliki.
He also claimed to have duly consulted with members of the National Assembly and other elders from the state, on the issue of his defection with the agreement that they would also join him in APC.
He alleged that the stakeholders, including the lawmakers, actually wanted to join the APC before him, but that they were not happy that he (Umahi) moved before them, saying, “They were planning to ambush me, but it is difficult to catch the air.”
On an allegation that he received N5billion from Anyim towards his governorship election in 2015, the Ebonyi governor indicated that Anyim had arranged a N5bn loan for him (Umahi) to “prosecute the presidential election for his government”, which he paid back by selling his properties.
“I was a deputy governor and someone occupying the highest position from the South East 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,” he said.
Governor Umahi also accused his detractors of benefiting in cash and in kind from his government.
“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 to work for us, they will bring their wives, children and relations,” he said.
“Now, they are dressing words for us. We are in chapter One now. In Chapter Two, I will publish all that I have done for the leaders of this state,” the governor added.
The stakeholders issued a communique after the meeting, reiterating that Umahi’s decision to join APC was in the best interest of the South East.
They vowed to mobilise “all forces to resist” the antics of those they said were distracting Umahi.
The communique said, “That we consider the decision as a bold step towards mainstreaming with the party at the centre to savour the full complements of the Nation’s dividends of democracy for the good of Ebonyi State and the prosperity of her inhabitants.
“That we uphold the move to join the party at the centre as a decision in the best interest of South East, which shall once again launch Ndigbo to the centre-stage of national politics. We believe that those who are castigating this arrangement today will in the future praise the foresightedness and forthrightness that informed this bold decision to the mainstream with the party of national unity.
“That we are worried by the alarm raised by the Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi, on the plot of some politicians to unleash terror and destabilise the security of the state and therefore reiterate that as stakeholders and elders of the state, we cannot fold our hands and watch the state go into flames again after the hard-earned peace and harmony we achieved under the present administration.
“That we recount the killings and wanton destruction of property in the state between 2000 and 2006, especially the Ishielu killings, Ivo Killings, and the brazen destruction of property orchestrated by some highly placed politicians which left Ebonyi State in a monumental socio-economic disaster.
“That as stakeholders and elders, we are constrained to warn that we will never again allow such evil to befall the state.
“That we warn those that have such plans to destabilise the peace and harmony in the state and those who think they are distracting the Governor, to desist forthwith as we shall mobilise all forces to resist them. Unfortunately, those who think they are distracting the Governor came late as our dear Governor has delivered in his promises to the people of the state.
“That we once again re-state our unwavering love, solidarity, and support to our dear Governor and praise him for the unprecedented development in the state that has given us boldface in the comity of states. We, therefore, urge him to remain focused and undaunted in his determination to transform Ebonyi State for the good of all.”
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