Peter Mbah Free to Join APC, Says Former VON DG

The former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has stated that Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State is more than welcome to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okechukwu, a founding member of the APC, made the remarks in a statement issued on Monday in Enugu on behalf of APC Foundation Members in Enugu State and the South-East. The statement was in response to a comment made by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, who had questioned Mbah’s right to join the APC during a meeting in Enugu on Sunday.

Okechukwu quoted Nnaji as saying: “Anybody who wants to run for the governorship of Enugu State, let him come to the APC, we will go to contest, we are waiting for them.”

In his response, Okechukwu firmly stated: “We, the foundation members of the APC, wish to state unequivocally that His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, and his group are wholeheartedly welcome to the APC, Enugu State, in accordance with the standard convention of our great party.”

He added that Mbah and his supporters should not be intimidated by anyone.

“We are at a loss as to why Nnaji, who himself is from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is chasing away the exceptionally performing Governor Mbah. For us, the foundation members, Governor Mbah should disregard Chief Nnaji’s remarks. We want to win Lion Building for the first time and join 23 other states to guarantee President Bola Tinubu’s victory in 2027,” Okechukwu emphasized.

Okechukwu further advised Nnaji to focus on his ministry, suggesting that his attention was misplaced.

“Otherwise, we will not allow Chief Nnaji, who came a distant fourth with 14,575 votes in the gubernatorial election and received just 4,722 votes in the 2023 presidential election, to continue to undermine the APC,” Okechukwu added.