Defection: No plans to dump PDP – Gov Mbah assures

Despite the gale of defection that has ravaged the opposition political parties lately, the governor of Enugu, Dr. Peter Mbah has reassured that he has no plan to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mbah stated this during an interactive session with the members of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) on Saturday in Enugu.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) is currently holding a meeting in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria. This gathering brings together leading editors, media executives, and stakeholders in journalism from across the country to deliberate on critical issues affecting the media industry and national development.

Speaking with the editors, Mbah said, “I am still in the PDP; as you can see, the flag behind me is that of the PDP.”

He acknowledged the challenges facing PDP, but noted that it was not peculiar to the party, as other political parties in the country were also facing challenges, but reassured that the situation would be brought under control soon.

On independent candidacy, Mbah said, “Our constitution does not recognise or have provisions for someone to run as an independent candidate. It means you have to be sponsored by a political party.

“So you must still do the politics, as you cannot completely shield yourself from it.

“It is also clear from the people of Enugu State that we are in this to serve them. So 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.”

Speaking on the political harmony in the state. Mbah said that his political rival in the 2023 governorship election in Enugu, Chijioke Edeoga, had returned to the party to join him in moving Enugu State forward.

“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.