By Godwin Okeh, ABAKALIKI – The chairman South East Governors’ Forum, David Umahi has said that his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari is personal and will not warrant him defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2019 general election.
Umahi, who is the governor of Ebonyi state made this known while briefing journalists at the Executive Chamber Government House, Abakaliki.
The governor stated that neither Mr. President nor APC chieftains have asked him to join APC, he said while debunking rumours that he has dumped the PDP.
“The clarification is that my relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari is because he is Mr. President, and he is my boss and the relationship is personal.
“Mr. President or any APC person has never asked me to come to APC, and they will never ask me, and there is no reason for me to leave my party PDP of which I was party Chairman, deputy governor and now governor.
“I have always insisted on character and any People that jumps from one party to another should examine his/her character, except if there is any problem within your party.
“As for today until Christ comes, there is no crisis in PDP. Even if there is a need for me to leave PDP, I can never leave PDP to join the kind of APC in Ebonyi State.
“With the kind of leaders in Ebonyi State, leaders that have failed Ebonyi State. So, I can never be on the same political platform with them.
“I am focused to do my job. I am focused in governance. I have always insisted that we should leave party politics to our party men and women, but as soon as you are elected, you should focus on your job.
“The fever that has been griping me since the day I was elected was for me to do my job, the dividends of democracy and the plight of our people.
“So, they should leave me alone with this their dirty politics. I am focused; I am in PDP. As a member of PDP, I have benefited on the platform to be a party Chairman, to be a deputy governor, and now a Governor. I am a man of character” he stated.
