A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) and campaign coordinator of Mr Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the party in Enugu State, Prince Emeka Mamah, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mamah justified his defection on Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership commitment and excellent performance in the state.
Similarly, the immediate-past State Publicity Secretary of the party and LP chairmanship candidate for Igboeze North LGA, Barr Titus Odo, has also dumped party for the PDP.
While receiving the two former LP members at the PDP State headquarters on Tuesday, the state PDP chairman, Dr Martin Chukwuweike, said other political parties were collapsing and already on the verge of sinking in the state.
Chukwuweike stated the governor’s exemplary leadership has repositioned the party to a vantage position where it was becoming increasingly stronger, while the APC and the LP continued to plummet as a result of loss of public trust and confidence.
He stated that the party would keep receiving quality defectors to its fold, revealing that more heavyweight opposition members already lined up to announce their defections to the PDP in the state.
He attributed the mass defections to Governor Mbah’s governing philosophy of transparency, accountability, optimal performance and economy transformation.
“The secret to this is having a normal mind to talk to people. The governor is truthful about what he is saying and again, the job being done by the governor. They said that no one will see it and say he is still in the opposition.
“That is why they are all coming. We are expecting as many big wigs are still outside, but by next tomorrow, we are going to take in not less than four from the national assembly,” he concluded.
In his remark, Mamah said Governor Mbah had convinced him and thousands of his supporters to return to the PDP following the performances of the administration which he noted were a clear departure from the disappointing past history in the state.
“The present governor – Peter Mbah – has shown that governance is not supposed to be what it used to be in the past. He has endeared my heart so much and that is why somebody like me, the person I brought here today, and so many other people will have to join the party,” he stressed.
The former Commissioner for Environment as well as Rural Development further disclosed that more political gladiators who were once aggrieved but got pacified by Mbah’s style of governance and inclusive leadership would soon return to the party.
In the next couple of days, he said, “many of our members are going to be part of this movement to PDP and in support of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.”
While describing PDP as a home, Barr Odo said he was glad to be finally home with his supporters, adding that his joining the party was influenced by the “governor’s giant strides in the state.”
He explained that Barr Chijioke Edeoga also influenced his decision to join the PDP and called on the people of the state to throw their weight behind the policies of the Mbah administration to enable the government complete the ongoing laudable projects across the 260 wards.
