… as jubilant Nkanu East people defy heavy rains to welcome son
Ahead of next year’s general elections, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has been described as a shinning light on the hill that could not be hidden.
The description was made at Amagunze, the headquarters of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Thursday, by the council boss, Hon. Okechukwu Sydney Edeh, when Mbah and his team paid a thank you visit to the people.
Edeh acknowledged the huge sacrifices made by his colleagues and other stakeholders that joined the thank you tour of the 17 local government areas in the state, stressing that the people of Nkanu East would never take it for granted.
Expressing how emotional he had become seeing the overwhelming love that other local government areas had shown them, Edeh promised that the gesture would be reciprocated at any given opportunity.
He commended all those that partook in the struggle to see that justice was done by toeing the line of equity and fairness enshrined in the PDP constitution, adding that the State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was used by God to answer the prayers of Nkanu people.
Governor Ugwuanyi, the council boss maintained, was a man of equity, fairness and natural justice who promised, during the extensive consultations that cut across the state and party lines, that ‘in the fullness of time, dialogue, justice and equity shall take pre-eminence’, pointing out that he stood by that principle in the face of overbearing pressure and antagonism from selfish quarters.
“I’m here today to express my joy, and to appreciate all of you that identified with our struggle. It is a prayer answered by God. We were here before the primary election and cried to God. He answered us through our performing Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a man of equity, fairness and natural justice. He is a man that God has used to wipe away the tears of Nkanu people.
“Governor Ugwuanyi wanted nothing less than the best for the state, which was why he sourced for the best hands for the job. After series of state-wide consultations, he gave us a man with a rich history in entrepreneurship and innovation. We acknowledge the immense role the governor played in managing the situation. We appreciate his patience, forbearance, and tolerance in the face of scathing attacks. We can’t express the way we feel in words alone,” Edeh said.
While announcing the conferment of the indigeneship of the area on Mbah’s running mate, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, Edeh described Ossai as a gentle lion who played a vital role in the process saying “we have found a brother in you.”
On his part, the PDP Zonal Chairman, Enugu East Senatorial Zone, Hon. Nnamdi Nwafor while conveying his appreciation to the people of the state for standing with the zone during the period of horse trading and internal party engagements, assured that the victory belonged to everyone in the state.
Aligning with the zonal chairman’s position, the PDP Youth Leader in the state, Hon. Patrick Okoh thanked God for making the struggle a reality and a victory for the people especially the people of Nkanu East. He paid tribute to Governor Ugwuanyi for making the project possible, extolling him as a “political mathematician.”
Also speaking, the former chairman of the council area, Hon. Frank Anioma described Mbah as a man that has a date with destiny, saying he has always been springing surprises. “In 2003, after fortifying himself with knowledge, he came back to the country and became the Chief of Staff in Enugu State. Your light will continue to shine,” he prayed.
Earlier in the day, the people of Nkanu East who had come out in their large numbers to receive their son Mbah, defied the torrential rains to await his arrival with enthusiasm. They thronged the venue with their colourful cultural dances and musical instruments, wielding banners and posters with various inscriptions such as “Mbah’s homecoming,” “Mbah, our only hope,” “PDP, only political party in Nkanu East”, describing the downpour as a blessing that symbolized fertility, bumper harvest and hopefulness.
A former council chairman of the area, Pastor Samuel Iyiogwe appreciated God for using Mbah’s candidacy to wipe away the pains and tears of the people of Nkanu East and for seeing the humility, commitment, loyalty and great qualities in him.
On his part, the former member that represented Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives and convener, Nkanu East Leadership Consultative Forum, Hon. Anayo Edeh extended his gratitude to Ugwuanyi whom he said made it possible for the council area to have a taste at the party’s ticket for the top job in the state adding that, “we are not taking it for granted. We want to appreciate that gesture. We are glad this is happening in our lifetime. This struggle started long ago and today, it’s becoming a reality.
“Governor Ugwuanyi saw you’re well equipped with your entrepreneurial skills and that you’ll take Enugu State to another level.”
A former Secretary to the Government of Enugu State and former PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Dr. GOC Ajah said that they visited the local governments to join their brother (Mbah) who he described as an apostle of virtue to thank the people for their support, insisting that their coming together was made possible by the state governor.
Ajah, while underscoring the reason behind their stepping down for Mbah during the primary election contended that out of the 17 aspirants that scrambled for the party ticket, Mbah was more prepared and more qualified, saying, “we were 17 in number that purchased the forms. While we were riding on bicycles and cars, we saw our brother Peter Mbah flying in an airplane, and that’s why we all decided to support him. I pledge my loyalty and support, and I enjoin everybody to queue behind him.”
Following Ajah’s speech, a former chairman of the local government area and candidate of the PDP for House of Assembly in Nkanu East Constituency, Hon. Okey Mbah, dismissed the presence of other political parties in the local government with a wave of the hand, stating that the people had always been PDP and PDP would continue to score landslide victories in the area.
Re-echoing their sense of gratitude, a former Deputy Governor in the State, Dr Sunday Onyebychi expressed delight over the emergence of Mbah as the governorship candidate, describing it as divine intervention. He conveyed his thankfulness to Governor Ugwuanyi for giving the state a man of humility and wisdom; declaring that “our promise is that we will stand with you in sun and in rain”.
Also speaking on behalf of the women was the former Commissioner for Tourism, Hon. Rita Mbah who called on all the women to keep on praying and supporting the party candidates ahead of the general elections. Others that spoke in the same direction included the convener of Ije Awele Movement for Gburugburu and Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Hon. Mike Ogbuekwe, former chairman of the council area, Hon. Uchenna Nwobodo, former Deputy Governor, Bishop Ifeanyi Nwoye, member representing Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Pharm. Nnolim Nnaji, the State PDP Chairman, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, Nkanu East Local Government PDP Chairman, Hon. Emeka Nwatu, among others.
In his response, the party governorship flagbearer, Mbah informed the people that he had finally come back home to tell them his experiences touring the other 16 local government areas of the state in what he tagged, “Thank you visit” for their support.
According to him, they’d embarked on the tour to other council areas because of the historic event of 25th May, 2022, to appreciate the people for their support over his emergence as the party candidate for the state’s topmost job, even as he acknowledged the bruises and pains some people had to endure to make sure justice was served during the intra-party activities.
“There were people that bore a lot for us to emerge. People were vilified and scorned because of us, and we will not take their support for granted. We came to explain to our stakeholders our journey, and what we saw here today; the large crowd, shows we are all stakeholders because all of us in Nkanu East have something at stake. Our observation shows that PDP is intact. Our party is solid and there’s no cause for alarm. We have a duty to show gratitude to those that fought for us. As Nkanu East, gratitude means we all have to come together and work for our future,” he further added.
…as Nkanu East traditional rulers endorse Mbah for governor
Meanwhile, 21 traditional rulers in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the State have unanimously adopted Mbah as their only preferred governorship candidate for the 2023 polls. The adoption took place during the grand finale of the thank you tour at Amagunze, Nkanu East local government headquarters.
The royal fathers who assured the people of the state that they had no other gubernatorial candidate in mind other than the PDP flagbearer also enjoined the people of the council area to honour their agreement by supporting the people’s choice.
Disclosing this development before the party supporters and the people of Nkanu East, Mbah said, “before we came to this arena, we went and saw the Igwes who presented me with ófó, the symbol of leadership, authority and acceptance. They are the representatives of our ancestors. They invoked the spirit of our ancestors and conferred on me the mantle to go ahead. Out of the 24 Igwes in Nkanu East, 21 were able to make it and they endorsed my candidacy. Others were unavoidably absent due to other pressing engagements.”
Mbah who said he understood that the expectations on him were high, promised not to disappoint them, even as he stressed that they had not come for campaign as the time for campaigns and other electioneering activities were not yet ripe, urging the people to remain steadfast in their support.
“We must remain one because we have always been one,” he urged the apparently overjoyed supporters.