Elechi wanted to send me to prison -Umahi

From Emmanuel Uzor, Abakaliki

Fresh facts emerged on the lingering political crisis between Governor David Umahi and his estranged predecessor and former governor, Martin Elechi, with the former alleging that the latter planned to send him to prison if he had lost the election.

Governor Umahi opened up at the weekend in Afikpo during a grand civic reception organized by the Old Afiko Union, OAU in his honour, where he said that it took Gods intervention to save him and his supporters from being sent to jail by the former administration if they won the election.

He said “If we were not here, our destination would have been in prison and I say this with gratitude to God because those who fought this battle with us have no mercy.

“If it were otherwise, they would have sent us to prison but God frustrated the efforts of our adversaries and gave us this victory”

The governor, however, used the occasion of the reception to set the record straight on the rumoured move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) when he said his cordial relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari should not be mistaken for support for another party as according to him, President Muhammadu Buhari remains his only boss as a state governor and will continue to support him.

“Let me ask all PDP members not to be worried at all. PDP remains the only party in Nigeria; PDP remains our party; PDP remains the party to beat.

“So my relationship with the President should not be mistaken for support for another party.

“And I will continue to support the President because he is my only boss

“We know what we are passing through as governors and I want to tell you that the President is doing his best to reposition this country.

“What we are witnessing  is a global economic meltdown; it is not peculiar to Nigeria and so I ask Nigerians to join hands with the President so that we can lift up this nation.

“The fate of our nation is in our hands and I believe strongly that if we prefer Nigeria made goods and if we sit with one another, Nigeria is going to be great again.”