The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has replied Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi’s earlier warning to him.

There have been exchanges of verbal blows between Wike and Umahi ever since the Ebonyi Governor announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Umahi had on Wednesday warned Wike to focus on the party and stop demonstrating dictatorship traits by attacking him, during an interview.

Umahi warned that it would be dangerous if they take on themselves, saying, “Wike has called the PDP committee all kinds of unprintable names, and I have asked Gov. Wike, he is my friend, and let’s not take on ourselves because it will be very dangerous.”

Appearing on Arise News, Wike said that Umahi cannot threaten him, adding that he (Umahi) knows him too well, adding that he is not at the same level as his Ebonyi counterpart.

Wike responded: “Umahi cannot threaten me, he knows me too well. When the case of Edo State came up I stood firm and said we cannot go this way, if we go this way we will destroy our party and are bound to lose elections.''

“It, therefore, requires everybody to sit together to agree, and when all of us agreed, we saw the success and that affected us in Ondo state because we could not agree.

“If you saw the way Umahi spoke earlier, you’d know he’s a man that things aren’t good with him now.

“I’m not at Umahi’s level. He said I single-handedly chose Secondus as PDP chairman. How could I? Secondus is from my state. I asked everyone to support him and everyone agreed, including Umahi.

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“Umahi has the right to move to the APC, it’s his constitutional right, but we cannot in all cases allow Umahi blackmail PDP that made him chairman of the party, deputy governor, and governor and then you now realize there is an injustice against the southeast.

''All of us in PDP know the romance of Governor Umahi with the APC. We had a meeting and he came out to say he had an agreement with the president that he’d give the president 35 to 40 per cent as the case may be.”

He also dismissed the comments Umahi made, describing him as controlling and a dictator.

Despite his criticism of Umahi’s actions, Wike described him as his friend who knows him very well”.

Wike added: “He can say whatever he wants to say today. If there is one person who has supported Umahi very well; he knows it is me.''

He, however, restated his displeasure with what he said is Umahi’s decision to “threaten the party, dictate to the party”. He also wondered how it is possible for Umahi to act as though he is the only qualified person to run for the presidency in the South East.