Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has lambasted his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi, for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that Umahi’s ambition to be president in 2023, rather than the excuse of unfair treatment of the Igbos by the PDP, led him to cross-carpet to the APC.
Mr Wike’s said this in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, on Tuesday.
“My friend, Umahi, wants to be president. There is no problem about that.
“You have a right to be President. Nobody can stop you. You are educated. You have been a governor for two terms, so you are qualified to say I want to be president of Nigeria.
“But that does not mean you want to blackmail your party, and tell lies to the people you are leaving the party because of the injustice meted against the South-east; that is not correct.”
But the Ebonyi State governor insisted the APC did not promise him any position. He said his movement was a protest against the injustice being done to the South-east by the PDP.
Mr Wike demanded a full retraction of the allegation of injustice made by Umahi, arguing that, under the PDP, the South-east has produced Senate Presidents; National Vice Chairman of the PDP and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“He said Mr Umahi was wrong to accuse the PDP of injustice when he had imposed his younger brother as the South-east zonal vice chairman of the PDP.
Mr Wike said he would not have been perturbed by Mr Umahi’s defection, but he felt offended by his attempt to justify it with alleged injustice meted to the South-east by the PDP.
