Shettima, Akpabio, Abbas, others storm Enugu as Gov Mbah, others, set to join APC

Enugu State’s capital city is agog as all is now set for Governor Peter Mbah and his political appointees to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday.

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The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on External Relations, Uche Anickukwu, stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Enugu.

According to him, to receive Mr Mbah into the party are the Vice President, Kashim Shettima; President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.

Others are the APC National Working Committee (NWC) led by the National Chairman of the party, Nentawe Yilwatda, governors as well as ministers, federal lawmakers and appointees, among others.

Mr Anichukwu quoted various critical segments of the state as well as Ohanaeze Ndigbo to have thrown their weight behind Mr Mbah’s decision to move into the APC.

He said that the former Chairman of the party in the state, Augustine Nnamani, maintained that PDP had itself to blame for precipitating the mass exodus from the party in Enugu State.

The former chairman said that the party “mistreated and betrayed the people of the South-east and Governor Mbah by its failure to recognise Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the national secretary in line with established tradition in the party.

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“The PDP chose a few people in Abuja over and above the South-east. Mbah has exited as spelt out in their region’s communique in May to leave the party if its choice was not respected,” he added.

He regretted that the crisis in the PDP and injustice to the region had cost the party one of the best performing governors presently in Nigeria and reduced the PDP from controlling the five South east states to losing everything.

The governors aide added that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Enugu State Chapter, equally applauded Mr Mbah, “for taking the bold step of joining the ruling APC”.

According to him, this decision is both thoughtful and timely, considering the compelling need to attract more federal government projects to Enugu State.

He said the statement signed by Ohanaeze’s Vice President General representing Enugu State, Fred Eze and the National Treasurer, Peter Aneke, the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, reiterated its commitment for the zoning arrangement in the state.

“We remain committed to upholding the long-standing zoning tradition for the office of the Governor, in the spirit of equity, fairness, and justice in Enugu State,” the statement read.

Mr Anichukwu also quoted the Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Samuel Asadu, saying that Mr Mbah had earned national acclaim and the trust of the people by his “trailblazing performance and grassroots-oriented development in the last 26 months.

“Therefore, the traditional rulers and people of Enugu State have absolute trust in his judgement. We wish him the best as he charts this new political course because it is rooted in the good of Enugu State. it is all about the people.

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“The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu State chapter, Okechukwu Edeh, expressed the readiness of the people to move in the direction of the governor.

“As we have said earlier, Governor Peter Mbah is the political party Enugu State knows today. Besides, we believe that this is a wise decision.

“When it was stated earlier that we would chart a new political course when our voices no longer counted in the other political party,” ALGON chairman stated.

Mr Mbah was elected as governor on the ticket of the PDP in 2023. He is currently in his first term.

He will be the third PDP governor to dump the party. Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Umoh Eno of Akwa Ibom State, had earlier defected to the APC.

(NAN)