By CHUKWUEMEKA OPARA

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Ebonyi, Mr Nwachukwu Eze, says the opposition party will welcome Gov. David Umahi with ‘open arms’ if his reported defection to the APC is true.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Chinedu Ogah (APC-Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency), on Saturday announced that Gov. Umahi has defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and commended him for making the move.

But Gov. Umahihas debunked the allegation.

His Special Assistant (SA) on Media and Publicity, Mr Francis Nwaze, described the report as ‘a figment of imagination of the person circulating that “rumour”.

Eze, the APC Chairman, however, told NAN on Sunday that the party will be happy to work with Umahi.

“We will not be against his joining us though nothing has suggested such to me or my office and none of our national leaders has communicated us to that effect.

“We, however, want our party to grow, spread its ideology all over Nigeria and make Nigerians believe that it is the party to identify with,” he said. (NAN)