Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has expressed satisfaction with the current political atmosphere in the state, attributing the prevailing peace and stability to the reconciliation and cooperation between himself and his former political rival, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga.
Speaking during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu on Saturday, Governor Mbah revealed that Edeoga, who contested against him in the 2023 governorship election, has since returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and is now working closely with him for the good of Enugu 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. 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,” he said.
Governor Mbah used the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to the PDP, dismissing rumours of defection.
“I am still in the PDP, as you can see, the flag behind me is that of the PDP,” he declared, making it clear that his loyalty to the party remains unwavering.
Acknowledging that the PDP is facing internal challenges, the governor maintained that such issues are not exclusive to his party.
He noted that all political parties in Nigeria face one form of crisis or another and expressed optimism that the PDP would resolve its issues in due course.
On the topic of independent candidacy, Governor Mbah pointed out that Nigeria’s constitution does not currently allow individuals to contest elections without party sponsorship.
“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 politics as you cannot completely shield yourself from it,” he explained.
Mbah further emphasized that his administration is focused on service and good governance, noting that the final decision on their performance rests with the people.
“It is also clear from the people of Enugu State that we are in this to serve them. 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,” he concluded.
