The All Progressives Congress, APC, has praised the conduct of its House of Representatives primary elections in Enugu State, describing the exercise as peaceful, credible, transparent and a model of internal party democracy.
The commendation came as Peter Mbah joined party faithful in Owo Ward, Nkanu East Local Government Area, to affirm the member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Nnolim Nnaji, as the APC candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with journalists after monitoring the exercise in Owo Ward and other parts of the state, Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Elections Committee in Enugu State, Solomon Funkekeme, expressed satisfaction with the conduct and outcome of the primaries.
“One thing is clear: Enugu State APC has continued to stand out as a shining example in internal democracy, party cohesion, consensus-building, and commitment to the party’s success over and above individual interests,” Funkekeme stated.
“You were with us at Owo and we have our men in other parts of the state. This is consensus in action. I believe it is the same with other places we have not monitored, based on the reports reaching us.”
He further credited the peaceful atmosphere during the exercise to the leadership of the party in the state.
“But above all, it is leadership in action. I commend the leader of the party in the state, Governor Peter Mbah, as well as the chairman and members of the State Executive, for the peace and synergy we have witnessed,” he added.
Addressing party members in Owo Ward, Governor Mbah thanked APC faithful for the massive turnout and peaceful conduct witnessed during the primary elections across the state.
“What you have seen here today is what you are going to witness across different federal constituencies in Enugu State. There might be just one or two federal constituencies where we may have a contest,” the governor said.
“So, I think that you people should be proud of yourselves because you are becoming a model of what grassroots democracy should be, what internal party democracy should be; and an example of a rancour-free primary exercise where people are coming out in their numbers to support a candidate of their choice, where there is a contest. This is what democracy means. And this is what APC represents for this country.”
Mbah also urged party supporters to market the achievements of the APC-led administration at both the state and federal levels ahead of the next general elections.
“If you also look at what this party has done at the national level, you will see that the pressure and tensions we had at our macroeconomic level have gone. What it means is that the states and the local governments are now able to serve you better, courtesy of the policies and programmes of our great party,” he said.
“So, you should be proud of this party and you should make sure that you carry the news, carry the message of what this party is doing for our country to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.”
The governor further maintained that the APC government had laid the foundation for long-term national progress.
“We have not finished yet. Look at the country. You may only have started seeing the signs. But I can tell you, the foundations have been built. The fundamentals are in place. What Nigerians need to do is to support APC to come back and get the job finished. It is extremely important. We cannot afford to go backwards. We must move forward,” Mbah added.
“That is why you cannot afford to stand on the margins. You cannot afford to be passive. You have to be proactive. You have to go from door to door, informing people about what is going on and the benefits supporting APC would bring to our people.”
Meanwhile, the APC State Chairman, Martin Chukwunweike, alongside other party leaders, joined members of the monitoring team from Abuja to observe the exercise in Owo Ward and other parts of the state.
