Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has affirmed his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissing speculations of defection and restating his unwavering commitment to the party.
Speaking during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on Saturday in Enugu, Mbah declared, “I am still in the PDP, as you can see, the flag behind me is that of the PDP.”
While acknowledging that the PDP is grappling with internal issues, the governor noted that such challenges are not unique to the party, stressing that virtually every political party in the country is dealing with its own share of difficulties. He expressed optimism that the PDP would soon overcome its troubles.
Commenting on the concept of independent candidacy, Mbah explained that the Nigerian constitution does not support candidates running without a party platform. “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,” he said.
He added, “So you must still do the politics as you cannot completely shield yourself from it.”
Mbah emphasized that his focus remains on delivering good governance to the people of Enugu State. “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.”
The governor also disclosed a significant political reconciliation, revealing that his former rival in the 2023 governorship race, Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, has returned to the PDP and is now working with him to develop the state.
“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,” Mbah said.
He concluded by highlighting the current political harmony in the state, stating, “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.”
