As controversy continues to trail the defection of Ebonyi State Governor, Engineer David Umahi from the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stakeholders of both parties have continued to exchange verbal attacks.
Umahi, on Wednesday morning described his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, as a dictator whose actions are ‘destroying’ the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Ebonyi Governor was reacting to a statement credited to Mr Wike who said he (Umahi) left the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because of his desperation to be president of the country in 2023.
Mr Umahi spoke on an Arise TV interview programme.
He said Mr Wike’s “dictatorial tendencies and overbearing influence on the party’s affairs had made other governors to be unhappy with him”.
He warned Mr Wike to desist from attacking him “as it would be very dangerous if both of them continue attacking each other.”
Mr Umahi said: “I refused to join issues with Wike because he is my friend. But Wike must know that he is a dictator. Wike must know that one person cannot be called a crowd. Wike must know that a lot of governors in PDP are not very happy with him. He remote controls the party.
“He (Wike) said that I made my brother the Vice Chairman. I fund the PDP South-east from A to Z. And he has forgotten that he singlehandedly made Secondus the (PDP) Chairman. He has forgotten that he wanted to impose one of his own as minority leader of the house.
“There is nothing that happens in PDP without his authorisation. He once said that PDP National Working Committee members are beggars and bribe takers. I have asked him that let’s not take on ourselves or else it will be very dangerous.
“So let’s us face the party, the party does not belong to him. And this is by no means personal and he is demonstrating the dictatorial tendencies in him by taking on me, a fellow governor. And that is very shameful.”
Mr Umahi warned that more governors would leave the PDP fold “unless there is a change in the mode of doing things in the PDP”.
The Ebonyi governor also accused his Rivers counterpart of ‘remote-controlling’ the PDP.
“APC does more consultation. Anybody can contravene this that PDP working committee is being remote-controlled and that is the truth and it is very dangerous and all the governors know that.
“You (Wike) cannot stay in your state and you will be remote-controlling what happens in other states. Unless that changes you will see a lot of governors leaving the party,” he warned.
Mr Umahi also said he is not desperate to be president of the country, contrary to Mr Wike’s assertion.
He, however, said “he will be a happy man if a president of South-east is elected in 2023 even if that person is not him.”
365Daily recall that Mr Umahi recently said he left the PDP because it had not been fair to his region in the allotment of political offices, especially the presidency.
The party had dismissed the allegation, saying that the region, including Mr Umahi, had occupied many top positions since 1999.
But speaking on Wednesday evening, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Woke slammed his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, for calling him a dictator who controls the structure of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike also said Umahi was wrong to have said he singlehandedly imposed Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the PDP.
The Rivers State governor made this known while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
Wike said Umahi was free to exercise his fundamental right of association but he was wrong to have threatened the PDP with his exit.
“If there is one person that has supported Umahi, it is me. But for him to threaten the party is wrong.
“Umahi wants to run for President of Nigeria but he has no right to threaten anybody. Politics is dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.
Wike added that the Southern region of Nigeria wants to produce a president in the 2023 elections but “who tells Umahi that he is the only qualified South-East person to be president?”
The River State governor also said Umahi was “insulting the intelligence of the South-East people” by claiming to have the interest of the region at heart whilst he pursued his personal ambition.
He stated, “On the other hand, if you watch him today on Arise TV, he said one of the reasons (he left) is that Wike is a dictator. Wike controls the party. Which one do we take now? Was Wike in charge from 1999? When did Wike become relevant?”
Wike also recalled that “Umahi called me on Monday and told me he wanted to move and I said, you are free. However, check yourself, check your conscience, if you satisfied, you are free.”