Mbah shuts down gossip, declares PDP his home in Enugu

By Alex Enebel

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has reaffirmed his allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dispelling rumors of a potential defection.

Speaking at an interactive session with the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) in Enugu, Mbah emphasized his continued membership, stating, “I am still in the PDP, as you can see, the flag behind me is that of the PDP.”

Acknowledging the internal challenges facing the PDP, Mbah noted that such issues are not unique to the party, as other political groups in Nigeria grapple with similar difficulties.

He expressed optimism about the PDP’s future, asserting that the party would soon resolve its problems.

Addressing the topic of independent candidacy, Mbah clarified, “Our constitution does not recognise or have provision for someone to run as an independent candidate. It means you have to be sponsored by a political party. So you must still do the politics as you cannot completely shield yourself from it.”

He underscored his administration’s focus on governance, stating, “It is also clear from the people of Enugu State that we are in this to serve them. So we have focused largely on governance. I believe that at the end of the day, the people would have to decide whether they want to renew our mandate or kick us out.”

Mbah revealed a significant development in Enugu’s political landscape, noting that his 2023 governorship election rival, Chijioke Edeoga, has rejoined the PDP to collaborate on advancing the state’s progress.

“So we’re working closely together and that has also brought a lot of peace as we are not spending money dealing with all sorts of political fights,” he said.

Mbah added, “We are quite peaceful here in terms of politics and working together. We have to collaborate with an institution or a person in order to achieve our common goal and build our state.”