People I helped to power now avoid me—Umahi

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has said that most people he helped to power during the 2023 general elections now avoid him.

Umahi said this in Abakaliki on Thursday while speaking with newsmen.

The minister said that even National Assembly members whom he helped to power were among those that now avoid him, adding that he was not disturbed by their behaviour.

“It is only Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi that will openly acknowledge that I am his father and boss.

“The others feel that by doing so, the state governor, my successor, will be angry with them.

“The governor cannot do that because he too openly acknowledges that I was instrumental to his emergence,” he said.

He said that the development made him stop having political godsons but has opted for political friends.

“I will fight anybody who makes trouble with the governor because he deserves our respect.

“I have done me bit, have left the stage and have to respect myself,” he said.

Umahi said usually there were crisis between the predecessors and successors, adding that “I am however not available for such because I have been so blessed in life by God.

“There are always pathways to successes and failures and when you dig for someone to fail, you have already failed,” he said.

The minister vowed to stick with Nwifuru for eight years and thanked God for giving the governor the grace to unite all leaders of the state.

“The issue of the leaders staying together for long is not our business but I have known the governor for 16 years and will continue to support him.

“I will never regret making him my successor as he, alongside few others, stood with me during the hard decision of defecting to the APC,” he said.