The political landscape in Enugu State witnessed something unusual on Friday as the major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dumped their governorship candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji and declared support for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Peter Mbah.
Making the declaration at Okpara Square at a well attended rally by Enugu East Senatorial Zone faithfuls, Barr. Ben Nwoye, the immediate past State Chairman of the APC said their choice of Mbah is based on what he (the PDP’s candidate) represents.
Nwoye who also represented the former Senate president, Senator Ken Nnamani, described Ugwuanyi as the performing governor of the state, insisting that Enugu is getting better under his leadership.
Nwoye, while describing Mbah as the incoming governor of the Enugu State, said he and some stakeholders in the zone decided to endorse him because of what he represents.
“We have looked at everything, including your manifesto which other candidates don’t have. We studied your manifesto; we studied the content if your comportment; we studied the dept of your heart.
“We looked at your temperament, your ability to lead, your character and we.concluded that the leadership of Enugu State should not be by party and that it should be Ndi Enugu that should elect who should govern them. Nkanu nation has endorsed you and myself, I am endorsing you too”, he said.
At the event also, former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo as well as the leadership of the Enugu State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said that nobody has the capacity to stop Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governorship candidate, Barr. Peter Mbah from being elected as a senator and governor of the state representatively in the forthcoming elections.
The leaders, including traditional rulers, traders and trade unions assured that Mbah would emerge victorious in the March governorship election in the state.
According to Nwobodo, “Ugwuanyi has proven that he is a young, vibrant and intelligent young, who has performed creditably in the past eight years. With him, Enugu has been rated as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. Based on that, it is my opinion that nobody can stop Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in his senatorial ambition in Enugu North senatorial district”.
The former governor commended Governor Ugwuanyi for allowing Barr. Mbah, an Nkanu man emerge as the PDP gubernatorial candidate, saying that with the governor’s backing of Mbah, PDP would remain the ruling party in the state.
“When you talk about Enugu politics, you are talking about the PDP. PDP is one party that has never lost election here. Therefore, I believe that Mbah has already won the governorship election.
“We thank Governor Ugwuanyi for being a man of his words in giving us Peter Mbah”, Nwobodo said.
Also the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State, Rev. Emmanuel Edeh said the association would leading the entire Christian body in the state to pray for Ugwuanyi and Mbah to emerge victorious in the election.
