One of the PDP governors in South East geopolitical zone has affirmed his love and respect for President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressive Congress (APC).
In his latest interview published by Guardian Newspapers Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, says the fact he’s in PDP doesn’t mean “I should castigate the president,” whom he described as the father of the nation.
The PDP governor was reacting to the allegation that he was planning to defect to the ruling APC. Umahi had scored 393,343 votes while his APC rival Sonni Ogbuoji had 81,703 votes.
The governor said he had no problem with President Muhammadu Buhari, but he is satisfied within PDP, debunking the rumour that he might join APC.
He stood out among PDP governors that gave Buhari a rousing welcome during the APC presidential train to his state, making people saying that he had a deal with the ruling party.
“I never had a deal with anybody. I have sense of my own. But what I said all along, I campaigned for Atiku and I stood for Atiku. But I kept saying that the president is my friend.
“He is not a political friend. He is my boss and that I was not going to castigate him and nobody from Ebonyi will castigate him, even his party we did not castigate when we were running.”
On Ogbuoji
The governor berated the behaviour of his opponent during the election for worrying himself over who joins APC. In a statement that sounded like a curse, Umahi said, “He’ll never become governor”
“It is only the cockroach that ran against me that was worrying us but because of the respect for the president, we did not castigate the APC. This is very important. Now it is the same Ogbuoji that is afraid of himself and his shadows that is castigating us.
“He is afraid that if I come into APC, I will displace him. Tell me should my coming into APC not be a plus for the party? Why is he worried about my coming into APC? The important thing is that, I don’t move unless God asked me to move and God would have brought me to governance through APC but he never did.
“So I am still a PDP member. I never thought of leaving PDP. I never contemplated leaving PDP, but he is afraid that if I come into APC he is finished. But he is finished already because he has no future at all. I told him when I was campaigning that he will never be governor all his life. I am still very busy with my projects and he is talking about jumping into APC.
Politicians that jump from one party to another have no integrity
On whether he would decamp to another party, he said: “I want to say that those that jump from one party to another have no integrity. Whatever God wants to make you, he can make you and it does not matter where you are or the political party you belong.”
Even as he said he’s contented in PDP, he, however, boasted that his coming to APC will be a big plus for the party.
READ ALSO: FINALLY! Governor Umahi Of Ebonyi Opens Up On Defection To APC
“Tell me, should my coming into APC not be a plus for the party? Why is he worried about my coming into APC? The important thing is that, I don’t move unless God asks me to move and God would have brought me to governance through APC but he never did.”
I’ll continue to be in PDP
Umahi said he’d continue to be a proud member of PDP “So I am still a PDP member. I never thought of leaving PDP. I never contemplated leaving PDP.
Even as the Umahi affirmed his loyalty to PDP, he vows to continue to respect Buhari. His latest statement has reportedly caused confusion within the PDP.
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