By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The rumblings within the ranks of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Enugu State Chapter over the fate of Governor Peter Mbah, continued on Monday August 11, 2025, with some founding members throwing their full weight behind the Governor.
The Source reports that speculations have been rife of late suggesting that the Enugu State Governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2023 ,is set to defect to the rival APC.
His rumoured defection plans which has been in circulation since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s State visit to Enugu earlier in the year, however, began to gain traction following the defection of some PDP Governors to the APC within the last few months.
Not a few are of the strong belief that Governor Mbah, anytime soon, may be following in the foot steps of his Delta and Akwa Ibom states counterparts.
Governors Sheriff Oborevwori and Umo Eno have since their defection to the APC, been handed down the party’s structures and leadership positions in their various States, a development which suggests that they will be also handed automatic return thickets in 2027.
But speaking last weekend during a stakeholders meeting in Enugu, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, warned that nobody including Governor Mbah should expect an automatic return ticket within the Enugu APC.
He spoke against the backdrop of speculations that Governor Mbah is bidding his time to firmly secure a commitment of being handed down the APC’s gubernatorial ticket before joining.
But in his speech Sunday, Nnaji advised the Governor and others who may be harbouring entitlement mentality to just perish the thought.
“APC has come to stay; that is why from every nook and cranny, people want to join. But as we have said earlier, we want people to come in, however, we will not give them free ticket. They must go to contest.
“Anybody who wants to run for the Governorship of Enugu State, let him come to the APC, and we will go to contest. We are waiting for them” Nnaji stated.
However, while speaking on behalf of some founding members of the party, former Director General DG of Voice of Nigeria VON, Osita Okechukwu, assured the Enugu State Governor that he is “wholeheartedly welcome.”
This is as he dismissed the statement credited to Minister Nnaji ,as ‘mere rantings’.
“We are at loss as to why Chief Nnaji who himself is a hijacker from the PDP is chasing away a performing Governor Mbah
Our goal is to win the Lion Building ( Enugu state Government House ) for the first time and join 23 other APC States to secure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term victory in 2027”, Okechukwu noted
He urged the Minister to concentrate on his official duties and stop distracting and deluding himself.
The former VON DG expressed serious concern that Nnaji has not recorded any meaningful achievements since being appointed as a Minister.
“Let him face his job and stop chasing away people from the Party”, Okechukwu warned.
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