This is contained in a statement in Abakaliki by Mr Chooks Oko, his Special Assistant on Media.
Oko said that the governor said this at his hometown Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, when he received members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Umahi, also Ebonyi South senate candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the insinuations were far from the truth.
“Those who are saying that Odii is a tool in our hand are very wrong. If they know the attack I face every day, they won’t say that.
“If I were to support, I would prefer someone else, who came from a tiny constituency, not someone, who came from my own zone,” he added.
Umahi admonished CAN, elders, founding fathers and all stakeholders to support zoning and power rotation, for sustainable peace in the state.
“When we were contesting in 2015, the North and Central supported us; their leaders stood with us,” Umahi added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Odii, Ebonyi PDP governorship candidate for 2023 poll shared the same zone with Umahi.
Rev. Father Abraham Nwali, chairman of CAN in southeast, said the visit was in the spirit of Christmas to felicitate the governor.