By CHARLES IWUOHA

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has replied his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, saying that his dictatorial disposition is killing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Umahi was reacting to a statement credited to Wike, who said he left the party to the APC because of his desperation to be president of the country.

Speaking on the Arise TV interview programme on Wednesday in Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital, Umahi said Wike’s dictatorial tendencies and overbearing influence on the running of the party affairs have made other governors to loath him.

He warned Wike to desist from attacking him as it would be very dangerous if both of them continue attacking each other.

He said: “I refused to join issues with Wike because he is my friend. But Wike must know that he is a dictator. Wike must know that one person cannot be called a crowd. Wike must know that a lot of governors in PDP are not very happy with him. He remote-controls the party.

“He (Wike) said that I made my brother the Vice-Chairman. I fund the PDP South-East from A to Z. And he has forgotten that he singlehandedly made Secondus the Chairman. He has forgotten that he wanted to impose one of his own as minority Leader of the House.

“There is nothing that happens in PDP without his authorisation. He once said that PDP National Working Committee members are beggars and bribe-takers. I have asked him that let’s not take on ourselves or else it will be very dangerous.

“So let’s face the party; the party does not belong to him. And this is by no means personal and he is demonstrating the dictatorial tendencies in him by taking on me, a fellow governor. And that is very shameful.”

Umahi warned that unless there is a change in the mode of doing things in PDP from a situation where it is being remote-controlled, then more governors will leave the party.

“APC does more consultation. Anybody can investigate this – that PDP working committee is being remote controlled and that is the truth and it is very dangerous and all the governors know that.”

“You cannot stay in your state and you will be remotely controlling what happens in other states. Unless that changes you will see a lot of governors leaving the party,” he warned.

Umahi also said he is not desperate to be president of the country.