The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has vowed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take control of Enugu State in the 2027 general elections.
Nnaji made the declaration on Sunday during a rally at Ogurute in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, where he welcomed more than 500 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) into the APC fold.
While addressing the crowd, the minister criticised the current Enugu State administration over what he described as “indiscriminate demolitions” of markets and traders’ shops without notice or compensation, saying the action had brought immense suffering to residents.
“Enugu has never had it this bad, and as I stand today, I imagine how a people can survive without something like Ogige Nsukka market,” Nnaji lamented.
“Ogige Nsukka market has gone; they have bulldozed Ogige Nsukka to ashes, without any notice. Many of our people have died out of that singular act of government. If you come to Enugu too, Holy Ghost suffered the same fate, Garki and Abakpa suffered the same fate, and Ogurute market here in Igbo-Eze North LGA suffered the same fate, and I wonder how our people who are predominantly businessmen can survive without trading.”
The minister also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, an indigene of Igbo-Eze North as the Chief of Naval Staff, describing it as a recognition of the area’s contributions.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows that we are here; he knows we are doing all these things for the state and for him and the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Nnaji said.
“He knows and he has our support 101 per cent and he is behind us, we are APC.”
He emphasized that the APC would use every legal means to unseat the PDP-led government under Governor Peter Mbah.
“We are going to fight, we are going to do everything humanly possible and within the ambit of law to make sure that come 2027 our people will start rejoicing again,” he declared.
Also speaking at the event, the APC State Chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, welcomed the defectors and described the wave of defections as a “rainbow movement” set to transform the party’s fortunes.
“You know that in the last election, the Labour Party won in Igbo-Eze North, LP won the House of Assembly, won the House of Rep, won everything, but they were rigged out,” Agballah said.
“Do you know why they were rigged out? It’s because they were in a one-man show. One-man-show parties don’t go far, politics is like a market, one person does not constitute the market.” he added.
