Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, has responded to a comment made by a former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who claimed that he (Femi) was responsible for Umahi’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

When Gov Umahi was asked about Femi’s statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s program, the Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum said it was an insult to his person and called for Femi to withdraw his statement quickly.

Umahi, who defined himself as an experienced governor, slammed Femi’s assertion, claiming that Femi had no influence in his decision to join the All Progressives Congress.

The Governor said, “I think he needs to withdraw that statement, he’s my good friend but, it was an insult on my person and the other governors.

“The man did not know when I moved, but incidentally he visited me and we discussed, and he said he was coming to join me with the other governors to declare,” he added.

“How would somebody in the PDP be instrumental to my moving? A whole governor of the state. Not even a small governor, an experienced governor. He has to withdraw the statement.

“He was never part of any discussion of my movement. I moved South-East to the center of administration. I moved to close the gap between the center and South-East, which our forefathers like Nnamdi Azikiwe fought for,” Umahi said.

“So for somebody to come and say that a whole chairman of South-East Governors Forum, he was instrumental to that, was an insult to my person and with all due respect, he has to withdraw the statement.

“He remains my friend and a good one for that matter but, he played no role in my movement and I am sure he didn’t play any role in the movement of others”.