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The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Umar Ganduje, has assured that the party will take over the governance of Enugu State in 2027.
Ganduje said on Sunday that the current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in the state is in its last term as the party had stategised to take over the historical capital of the South-East.
(Pix: L-R: Chief Emma Eneukwu, APC Department National Chairman, South; Hon Cyriacus Umeha, Rem Member defecting to APC; Chief Uche Nnaji, with microphone, Minister of Innovation Science and Technology; Barr Ugochukwu Agballah, APC Enugu State Chairman, and Hon Dennis AMADI, former Rep member defecting to APC at reception of LP defectors at Akama-Oghe Ezeagu LGA, Enugu State, weekend)
Represented by the APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the APC boss said this at Akama-Oghe in Ezeagu Local Government Area at the reception of the member representing Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency, Chief Sunday Umeha and his entire Labour Party constituency structure.
Ganduje noted that due to excess burden placed on Nigerians living in the state APC had vowed to displace the PDP led government in 2027.
The national chairman also decried what he called “high taxation without human face or cinsideration” in the state especially against the poor masses.
(From L-R: Hon Dennis Amadi, former Rep member, his successor Cyriacus Umeha, representing Udi/Ezeagu; Chief Emma Eneukwu, Dep National Chairman, South of APC; and Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation Science and Technology during reception of LP defectors into APC at Enugu, weekend)
“APC is the transformer giving light to Nigeria, even the Governor (Peter Mbah) himself, is running around begging to know if he will join APC.
“But we say no to such move, partnership or alliance. So, there is no space, so he has to leave come 2027,” he said.
Ganduje said that with Umeha defection from the Labour Party (LP) to APC, “he is the first elected political office holder (a Federal lawmaker) to be produced by APC in Enugu State since the inception of the party in 2014.”
“Hon Umeha, Hon Dennis Amadi, and all those that joined APC with them, including Hon Emma Ogbozo my friend, that you have made the right decision. You will not be disappointed.
“You see that man that is governing Enugu State now, he has ended his reign. I can tell you reliably that he has finished his one term; the way he came is the same way he will go.
“So you have taken the right decision because you have connected yourself to the national grid, light never goes off from the national grid. So you are welcome to APC.
“We have a new governor in us, what he is doing is just waiting, he is waiting for 2027 to assume his position as the governor of Enugu State and we know his capacity; that is when people of the will enjoy good governance.
“The taxation they are using to kill the poor people will no longer be there, there will be considerable taxation and not taxing people to kill them. So, all the people that joined APC from the Labour Party are lucky people,” he added
In his remarks, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, commended the defectors for joining the APC.
Nnaji said, “I know that our people are suffering, the huge allocation that accrues to the state is not being used to work for the people.
“What they do is make belief; they go to newspapers and electronic media and are advertising what they did not do and claiming they have done it.
“Enugu is the first state in which a serving president commissioned an uncompleted project.
“How can they trick our father, Bola Tinubu, they took him to Government Technical College and showed him video of an uncompleted house called smart school and told him that this represents 30 of the smart schools that had been completed in Enugu State.”
The minister noted that everyone know that at the time in question it was only one smart school that was done in Enugu State, and it is in Owo (governor’s community), the former farm settlement in Owo.
The state’s Chairman of the party, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, said the defection of Umeha and collapse of LP structure in Udi and Ezeagu local government area would have a profound effect in Enugu state politics.
Agballah noted that Udi and Ezeagu, otherwise known as Agbaja people, remained the heartbeat of Wawa people (people of old Enugu State including present day Ebonyi), while Enugu State is the heartbeat of South East.
Ealier, Umeha stated that with his defection and that of others with him, the entire structure of Labour Party in his constituency, Udi/Ezeagu, had formerly shifted to APC in the state.
“We are supposed to be at the epicenter of national politics, we are supposed to be at the centre where decisions concerning Nigeria are being taken; so our journey to reconnect Enugu State to the administration at the federal level begins today,” he said.
He said his defection was preceded by widespread consultation and endorsement of his constituents; hence, they all followed him to APC.
Other prominent polticians that defected with him included: Chief Chibuzor Onyema, LP House of Assembly candidate, Udi South; as well as the entire LP executives in the 40 Wards and two local government areas of Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency.
Attendance at the event included; Prof. Nnanyelugo Ikemounso, Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council and Chief Obumneme Obodougo, Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State in the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Others are: Dr Lois Nwobodo, Director of Science Equipment Development Institute (SEDI) Akwuke, Enugu and Chief O’Brian Ofordu, former General Manager, Enugu Water Corporation; and several other party leaders and faithful.
