The former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Femi Fani-Kayode has warned that more governors elected on the platform of the PDP may defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) if nothing is done.
He made this known while reacting to the news making around that the Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi had concluded plans to defect to the APC.
According to the report, Umahi told the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) members on Tuesday that he would defect to APC, except the PDP zones the 2023 party’s presidential ticket to the South-East.
Fani-Kayode in a tweet on Wednesday described the development as troubling, but said that he was yet to confirm the report. He urged the PDP national leadership to pacify Umahi as more governors in the party might follow the Ebonyi governor to the APC.
He tweeted: ‘I urge the leadership of the PDP to do all they can to ensure that he stays. Not only is he a profoundly good man and an excellent Governor but his contributions to the success of the PDP over the last 20 years at various levels is immeasurable and simply extraordinary.’
‘What makes the matter worse is that other Governors may also contemplate leaving if he does because he has a lot of friends and goodwill amongst them. If that happens it will affect our party’s chances in the 2023 presidential election in a very significant way.’
‘Again, I call on the National Chairman and the NWC of our great party to do all they can to keep Umahi on board.’
The issue of the governors decamping, which has generated a lot of dust in recent weeks, is connected with the 2023 presidential ticket which many insist PDP must zone to the South East or face mass decamping from the party.
Some members of Ebonyi state recently gave PDP a 7 days ultimatum to announce the zoning of their party presidential ticket to South East Zone or face decamping to APC. The Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth led by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro in statement claim that Igbos have decided to decamp to APC owing to the fact that PDP has no plan of zoning the presidency to the South East.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK