Former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim on Monday petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu and the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged plot to kill him for not defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He alleged that Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi was behind the plot.
Anyim said Umahi was in his house on November 20 to advise him to defect from the PDP to the APC, adding that he had declined.
Anyim said no amount of blackmail or intimidation will compel him or any of the PDP leaders to follow the governor.
He said Umahi is suffering from delusion and he needs help.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) said he and key leaders in Ebonyi State are not engaging cultists and members of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) to kill and cause crisis in the state.
He said Umahi pointed accusing fingers at some leaders in the state in a circulated media briefing on November 27, after a formal State Security Council meeting. Also, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi said Umahi’s defection is not as important as the problems currently confronting the country.
Anyim, who raised the alarm in an open letter, which was sent to Umahi, President Buhari and the IG, said his blood is not available for Umahi in pursuit of his ambition.
Anyim said in part: “I would not have bothered to respond to this gibberish by a sinking man but for the compelling need to put the records straight and forewarn the public about the sinister plans of a man who personifies everything ignoble, shameless and despicable.
“Umahi is pitiably delusional. He is a prisoner of his greed and inordinate ambition. Here is a drowning man looking for who to drag down with him.
“Umahi has made his worst mistake after his latest misadventure by taking on me and other noble and respectable sons of Ebonyi State who have served and continued to serve our dear state with resolute commitment, dedication and integrity.
“The case at hand is his defection to APC on the 19th of November, 2020. The discerning public knows that he has been on the plan for a long time and when he decided to consummate it, he suddenly concocted an accusation against PDP, that PDP was not willing to zone Presidency to the Southeast. “When he spews these allegations, he would not even mind whether they make sense or not. He did not have the mental capacity to reason that no party in less than two years into a new term would bring the next election unto the front burner.
“That even in APC where he has gone to, the issue of next election is not yet on the table as doing so would distract the government.
“People who know Governor Umahi know that he normally starts this way whenever he is hatching a sinister plan. He raises dusts, makes wild allegations and accusations against people just to divert the attention of the public before he strikes.
“It is public knowledge that Governor Umahi had been planning his defection to the APC for a long time. In his delusion, he believed his own lies that he is the only man who matters in Ebonyi State. He did not consult with anybody notable before consummating his defection to APC. After his defection, no person of note followed him.”
Anyim recalled how Umahi stormed his house to beg him to leave the PDP for the APC.
He said he declined Umahi’s offer, stressing that he did not take kindly to it.
He said: “Unable to contain and manage the unsavory reactions from the public, he ran to my home in the company of some high-profile people, on the 20th of November 2020, and pleaded with me to defect to APC, saying that if I do, others will follow suit.
“I pointed out to him that his approach has made it almost impossible for anybody to defect. He pleaded with me that if I cannot defect now, I should not attend any PDP meetings, and I said no, I must attend PDP meetings as long as I am in PDP.
“He realised that he could not persuade anybody when he saw the crème of Ebonyi elders and citizen, that gathered for the inauguration of PDP Caretaker Committee. He could no longer sleep and declared war on everyone who has refused to defect with him.”
The ex- President of the Senate said he could not ignore Umahi’s threats because of the governor’s antecedents.
He added: “I would not have taken his present spew of baseless allegations seriously, but because I suspect he is under a spell and perhaps something is pursuing him.
“He may have been told that he will need to kill before he would achieve his present enterprise and so to build up a scenario for him to kill, he will need to spew allegations of killings even when they make no sense.
“I have no doubt that Governor Umahi may have been told that he needed blood to accomplish his present enterprise. Otherwise, how can a man in his 6th year as Governor of a state suddenly realise that a former President of the Senate, a former Governor of the state and two-time serving Senator Dr. Sam Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba, two time serving Senator, are now cultists and IPOB members. Something is wrong somewhere.
“It is obvious that either something is pursuing Governor Umahi or that he is pursuing something. For those who know him well, please notice that his lips have shifted out of shape and his eye balls shrinking. Something is pursuing Gov. Umahi.”
Anyim said he decided to cry out because “ Umahi’s modus operandi are well known and his moves are easily predictable.”
He said:” The purpose of this response is to alert the public and the security agencies in particular on the schemes of Governor David Umahi so that they will read him upfront and be wary of him and his allegations. Accordingly, all concerned should note as follows:
”I believe that Gov. Umahi needs help. He was not in this shape when I picked him. His present behaviour is certainly not normal. His behaviour and utterances are strangest whenever he puts on the costume for the new enterprise – an oversized white Agbada and an elongated red hat that over sizes his head.
“The only offence we committed is that we refused to follow Gov. Umahi in his political adventure. We do not know when belonging to parties of one’s choice has become an offence against a governor or means fighting a governor.
“It is clear that Gov. Umahi may have been told that he needs to kill a high-profile person in order to achieve his mad ambition. Ebonyians should be wise and those he is preparing to use for the killings should know that after using them he will also plan to kill them to cover his track. Examples abound.
“Security agencies, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and judges should note that Gov. Umahi had boasted as follows:
“That one of the gains of his defection is that he has been promised absolute use of the security agencies for all that he desires to do.”
“That the Hon. Attorney – General of the Federation is his friend and will soon visit Abakaliki the second time and that he will use him to deal with those opposed to him using the EFCC.
“That he will extensively use the courts to not only make it impossible for PDP to function in the state but also to frustrate those opposed to him including sending them to prison.
“My advice is that all those concerned should be wary of Umahi so that he will not taint their soul and ruin their careers, because all his actions and schemes have black sides.
“To notify the public that I fully understand that what Umahi meant by *”this will be the last fight I will fight”, is that he will kill me so that I will not live to fight again*. While I invite the security agencies to note this plan, I want to assure Gov. Umahi that my blood is not available for him in pursuit of his ambition.
“To assure the street dinner Governor that no amount of blackmail or intimidation will compel any of us to follow him.”
Speaking on the Arise TV ‘Morning Show’, Obi said he was not interested in any political discourse at a time the country is suffering economically and the poor citizens are bearing the brunts.
But, he sarcastically asked how many people Umahi’s defection has pulled out of poverty.
Obi, who lamented the growth of terrorism in the country, also reflected on recession and the need to reduce the cost of governance.
He said: “How many people were pulled out of poverty because David Umahi left PDP? Yes, its true we have lost somebody but some other people will still join.
“The discussion now should be how do we reduce waste and cost of governance in Nigeria. I don’t want to discuss politics.
“As we are speaking now so many people doesn’t know where their next meal will come from.
“The cost of governance in Nigeria is unacceptable in any part of the world. The cost is too much. People are dying in poverty our leaders are drinking Champagne.
“People can decamp all they like but the cost of governance in Nigeria has to be reduced and that should be the discussion at this critical time. I have run the government and I know what I am saying.”