People's Party of Canada candidate Yogi Henderson, right, says former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon is a "right-leaning guy" and he didn't dupe him into signing his nomination papers as a Winnipeg Centre candidate. (Yogi Henderson/Facebook)

A People's Party of Canada candidate didn't give a direct answer when asked if there's any truth to the accusation he duped a former premier of Manitoba into signing his nomination paper, but said he was wearing a party pin when it happened.

Winnipeg Centre PPC candidate Yogi Henderson was defensive Thursday morning on CBC Manitoba's Information Radio, in response to Gary Filmon's statement he was tricked into supporting Henderson's nomination.

"He's supporting the democratic process, I'll go on statement as saying that," Henderson told host Marcy Markusa.

"He's a right-leaning guy. He knows I'm a right-leaning guy, that's what it was."

Henderson said he hadn't read a story in Thursday's Winnipeg Free Press, in which Manitoba's premier from 1988 to 1999 said Henderson implied he was campaigning for a Conservative Party candidate and asked if he would sign one of their nomination papers.

Filmon also strongly denounced everything the People's Party stands for, including their desire to significantly curtail immigration to Canada.

Confirmed & ready to go in my hometown of Winnipeg Centre. Had right-leaning former Manitoba Premier and fellow Civil Engineer Gary Filmon as one of my 150 signatures needed to get me on the ballot. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/classguy?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#classguy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/respect?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#respect</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elxn43?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#elxn43</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/680CJOB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@680CJOB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/acoyne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@acoyne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChantalHbert?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChantalHbert</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ctvwinnipeg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ctvwinnipeg</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dpshcpya54">pic.twitter.com/Dpshcpya54</a> —@YogiHenderson

Henderson did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment on Wednesday.

In an interview with CBC News on Thursday morning, Henderson suggested Filmon should have known he was with the People's Party.

On Sept. 26, Henderson bragged of their chance meeting at a Salisbury House on Ellice Avenue on his social media channels. He posted a picture of himself standing beside Filmon; he was wearing a PPC​​​​​​ button on his T-shirt.

"I'm responding that I did see Gary. He was sitting with a friend of a friend of mine at the Salisbury and, yes, he signed my nomination papers," Henderson said, in an at times combative interview.

PPC credentials were clear: Henderson

He approached the former premier as an admirer of his time in office and their shared history as engineers, he said.

"I had my [PPC] badge on in the picture. You can look on my Twitter account, or my Facebook account," Henderson said. "He's a right-leaning guy, so am I, I think we talked about that."

Filmon told the Free Press he wanted the photo removed because he doesn't want to give anyone the impression he supports the People's Party.

He described Henderson as a "very enthusiastic gentleman" who introduced himself as an admirer of Filmon's time in office. He said he became a engineer because of Filmon.

Henderson would not say that Filmon's characterization of their meeting was inaccurate, but rather slammed the Winnipeg Free Press for pursuing the story.

He said Filmon should be left alone, as his wife, Manitoba Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, is recovering from breast cancer surgery.

A spokesperson for the former premier said he has no further comment on this matter.

Henderson told CBC News he recently moved back to Winnipeg, his hometown, from Calgary.