The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has advised Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to consult widely with other leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the South-East geopolitical zone for necessary strategies.

Kalu, who is one of the leaders of the APC in the region, gave the advice while speaking with our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday.

He was reacting to a possible faceoff between him and the governor following his absence from Umahi’s official defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC held in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, on Saturday.

Kalu said the national leadership of the party contacted him being a leader of the party in the geopolitical zone and that he explained that he could not attend the event due to a national assignment he handled.

He, however, clarified that there was no love lost between Umahi, Rochas Okorocha, Hope Uzodinma, Ogbonnaiya Onu and him.

He said, “As the leader of the All Progressives Congress in the South-East, the chairman of the party called me and I told him that I was not going to attend the official defection of Governor Dave Umahi from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC because the President of the Senate had asked me to preside over a committee on the 2021 budget.

“The Nigerian budget is more important than the official declaration ceremony. I’m very happy that Governor Umahi has defected. I have already called and congratulated him for defecting. I don’t have any issues with Governor Umahi.

“I helped in the development of the security architecture which the governor is implementing to tackle insecurity in the state. I will host Umahi to a dinner in my house tomorrow (Sunday). Some media reports of a possible faceoff between Umahi and me is a trash.

“I want him to consult other leaders like Ogbonnaiya Onu, Rochas Okorocha, Hope Uzodinma and others. We are united and we are very happy to receive Governor Umahi and we are still expecting more governors.”

Copyright PUNCH.