The All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to ensure the total takeover of the reins of power in the South East geopolitical zone ahead of the 2027 general election.
This is even as the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, is set to decamp from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on Tuesday.
The party’s hierarchy at the national state levels gave the indication at the inauguration of a seven-man caretaker committee for the APC in Enugu state.
The caretaker committee has Dr Ben Nwoye as chairman, Hon Eugene Odoh as Secretary, Fidelia Njoeze, Peter Chime, Dr Oby Ajih, Dr Chiedozie Nwafor and Emma Ekeh as members.
Inaugurating the caretaker committee, APC national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, harped on the need for concerted efforts to strengthen the party’s influence in the South East region ahead of 2027.
Yilwatda, who said the party’s National Working Committee
followed due process in dissolving the state’s working committee, charged the caretaker to unite the party and work hard for APC’s success in future electoral contests.
“We are working towards elections. We want to ensure that we have overwhelming success and outing in 2027. The Renewed Hope Agenda has achieved much. Within the health sector, we have delivered three cancer centres out of the six we promised to provide in four years. We are sure that in the next two years, we will deliver the remaining three.
“We promised to revitalise 10,000 primary health centres; we have delivered over 6,000 already. We are sure that in the next two years, the 10,000 will be met. For every promise we make, we keep the hope of Nigerians alive.
“You will work with the governor to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda is promoted both at the state and national levels. You are the foot soldiers of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Promote it; sell it; do well as a government. Like I said, look at what they have done with the revenue. In 2023, 24 states were owing salaries. Of the 12 states that were paying, they were borrowing to pay. Today, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we moved to about N400 billion being shared at FAAC on average, amounting to N2.25 trillion in a month.
“What was shared in about four, five months, is now shared in a month. Encourage your party and your governor to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda unveils projects, social welfare of the people and social protection to ensure that we have reason to go back to the grassroots and win the election in 2027,” he stated.
Addressing journalists after the inauguration, the chairman of the caretaker committee, Nwoye said they would hit the ground running to ensure that Enugu and the South East region join the national ruling party, adding that the panel has already started ‘the political evangelism.’
“We took it to the governor and he has promised and agreed to be part of us, to move this party and ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Tinubu comes to Enugu State.
“For the past 10 years, Enugu State has remained in the opposition. But all that will change on Tuesday, October 14, when the governor will be declaring for the APC and the governor is not coming alone.
“The governor is coming in with 260 ward councillors, the 24 members of the House of Assembly, members of the National Assembly and indeed, the entire EXCO,” he said.
Reacting to the development, a chieftain of the APC, Barrister John Diara described Mbah’s defection as a welcome development, stressing that the entrance of the governor would be the best thing to happen to the state.
Meanwhile, investigations revealed that there was also jubilation in the camp of the PDP as they had consistently prayed for a day that the governor would take the decision.
The PDP members had in their previous rallies described Mbah as their party, saying that they would follow him anywhere he would choose to go.
Also, the coordinator of the APC 2023 House of Assembly Candidates in Enugu State, Godwin Onwusi said they were happy that the governor has hearkened to the yearnings of the majority of APC members in the state.
With the defection of Mbah to the APC, the PDP has lost all the governors in the South-East, a zone it once controlled.
