Aggrieved APC chieftains declare support for PDP governorship candidate in Enugu

Some aggrieved chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State have endorsed the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Peter Mbah, in the 2023 general elections.

The APC chieftains, led by former President of the Nigerian Senate, Ken Nnamani, made the announcement on Friday during the Enugu East District Rally for the PDP candidate at Okpara Square, Enugu.

Represented by a former chairman of the APC in the state, Ben Nwoye, Mr Nnamani explained that the decision to endorse Mr Mbah was borne out of their conviction about the leadership qualities of the PDP candidate.

“Leadership of the people of Enugu State should not be based on party. The leader of Enugu State will be elected by citizens of Enugu. Nkanu people have had their consensus to pick you (Mbah). I am an APC member but my and I will vote for you,” he said.

Mr Nnamani said the group took the decision at their leadership meeting in the state recently.

Mr Nwoye, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said they will continue with their support for the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, but “will turn everything to Mbah after supporting our presidential candidate in the February 25 election.”

The former APC chairman in the state lauded Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for keeping faith with the promise to pick the party’s governorship candidate from Enugu East District in line with the existing zoning arrangement in the state.

Responding, Mr Ugwuanyi said he was delighted that the APC and other parties in the state honoured the zoning arrangement by electing their governorship candidates from Enugu East District, which underscored the correctness of the PDP decision.

“It is also cheering that virtually all other contestants in that PDP primary election have long closed ranks with the winner, Peter Mbah, to ensure victory for the party in the general election and I salute their spirit of sportsmanship,” Mr Ugwuanyi said.

“It is significant that today’s endorsement of Peter Mbah for 11 March 2023 gubernatorial election transcends partisan boundaries. I salute the good people of Enugu East Senatorial District for keeping their eyes on the ball,” the governor added.

He described the PDP candidate as “a phenomenal young man with knack and uncommon capacity for outstanding performance.”

The APC in the state has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis lately, resulting in the splitting of the party into two factions.

The faction, led by Mr Nnamani, had accused the State Chairman of the APC, Ugochukwu Agballah and the party’s governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji, of running the party like their “personal businesses.”

Earlier this month, the aggrieved APC chieftains in the state under the aegis of “Concerned Enugu State APC” besieged the APC national secretariat in Abuja demanding the payment of the convention allowances to the tune of $1.5 million by the party’s leadership in the state.

The protesters accused Messrs Agballah and Nnaji, of embezzling the convention funds.

Two weeks ago, the party leaders boycotted the presidential campaign rally held in Enugu.

Although the leaders were at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Emene, Enugu, to welcome the APC candidate, Mr Tinubu, they failed to show up at the campaign ground.