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From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has suffered a setback as thousands of its card carrying members from Ezeagu Local Government Area have declared support for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Peter Mbah
Members of the party who converged on the state capital under the aegis of Ezeagu Igbudu Movement said they believed Mbah has what it takes to move the state forward and give citizens a new socio-economic outlook.
Convener of the group and former commissioner, Joe Mmamel, described himself as a staunch member and chieftain of APC who had decided to lead members of the party and other professionals to PDP to give maximum support to Mbah.
“Dr. Peter Mbah is the project we are discussing currently in the state, and we in Ezeagu believe that the PDP gubernatorial flagbearer is the right person we can partner with for the state’s transformation. This movement is a movement for development and we want to partner with you. Ezeagu has 20 political wards, and our members here are experienced in delivering elections. So, we are promising you our support.”
The former chairman of Ezeagu Local Government Area, appealed to Dr. Mbah to create more employments for his people by resuscitating the defunct Ezeagu Premier Cashew industry, build more access roads, focus on human capital development and youth employment, and build on the existing security architecture in the state.
Pledging their allegiance, Prof. Stanley Udedi and Chris Okolo said they had decided to drum support for Dr. Mbah’s aspiration because of their conviction in his competence and capacity to fulfill the development programmes in his manifesto, adding that they would work with him during and after the general elections for a better Enugu State.
Reacting to his endorsement by the APC chieftains and other professionals at the meeting, Dr. Mbah said he was glad that the people had seen the light through his candidacy.
He re-echoed his resolve to construct access roads to all communities across the 17 local government areas through his robust programmes for the state.
Meanwhile, PDP in Enugu State has frowned at what it called deliberate maligning of its governorship candidate by opposition figures in the state.
PDP alleged that some misguided members of the society have continually hidden under the anonymity of the virtual world to peddle sheer falsehood and utter malicious content and urged the law enforcement agencies to fish out and bring to book those dragging the hard-earned reputation of its candidate, Mbah to the mud of public obloquy.
Addressing newsmen at press briefing yesterday on the issue, the Director of Communications/Spokesman Enugu State PDP Campaign Organization, Nana Ogbodo, noted that since the beginning of campaigns for the forthcoming elections, “those who ought to have known better, have sought to revile the prevailing civility in the state and drag the hard-earned reputation of Enugu’s illustrious sons to the mud of public obloquy.
“Lately, the state has been inundated with clearly malicious jingles and sundry content conceived with the devious intent to malign the reputation of our governorship candidate, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.”
Daily Sun gathered that what broke the camel’s back is a recent jingle titled “Ego Ndi Enugu” that has gone viral, alleging that Mbah’s Pinnacle Oil and Gas and some property of some other leaders in PDP in the state were built with Enugu state money.
But Ogbodo stressed that campaigns were made for the candidates to tell the people what he or she would do for them and how he intends to go about it if elected and not for mudslinging and character assassination.
Insisting that PDP as a party takes exception to slanderous campaigns he said, “Despite the disingenuous attempt to mask the identity of the purveyors, it is not difficult to deduce the source of these slanderous messages.
Noting that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had enthroned an enabling environment characterized by restraint even in the face of brazen provocation, such unrestrained freedom, not guaranteed in some states around Enugu, Ogbodo said the purveyors of falsehood knew all that but decided to be mischievous.
