2023: Enugu APC guber candidate, others devastated as thousands of loyalists dump party for PDP
By Ansalem Nnadi
As gale of defection continues to plummet the chance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State to make any impact in the forthcoming elections, reliable sources have disclosed that the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Uchenna Nnaji, and a few leaders of the party, are currently devastated, counting losses and accusing themselves.
It was reliably gathered from sources in the APC that the party’s gubernatorial standard bearer was contemplating of given up and backing out of the race over the growing rejection of the stakeholders of the party of his candidacy.
Recall that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and chieftain of the APC, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, Director General, Voice of Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari’s ally, Dr. Osita Okechukwu, former governor of the state, Barr. Sullivan Chime, former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, immediate past state chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye and other critical stakeholders of the APC recently called a press conference where they rejected Mr. Nnaji, calling his aspiration to rule the state, dead on arrival and a joke taken too far.
Most of these APC leaders had already directed their supporters to switch their support and loyalties for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state (PDP), Dr. Peter Mbah, describing him as a better, most outstanding and excellently prepared candidate for the job.
Even as irreconcilable crises which have been brewing the party for the past one year or more appear to have no end in sight, the weary governorship candidate was said to be venting his frustration on Mr. Ugochukwu Agballah, the controversial factional chairman of the party, accusing him of ill-fate, and notorious for bellicosity against leaders of the party who could have endorsed his ambition.
Only recently, the APC in the state has suffered massive wave of defection of its members to other parties, especially the PDP across the 17 council areas, with thousands of its members expressing strong confidence in the transformational leadership and innovation that Peter Mbah would be bringing when he wins.
Dailypost.ng, a popular mainstream online newspaper, reported that just yesterday in Awgu, thousands of card carrying members of the APC defected to the PDP, rejecting Mr. Nnaji, tearing their membership cards and setting their brooms ablaze.
Some of the members who spoke with newsmen berated the APC governorship candidate for his empty and defective manifesto which he recently unveiled.
“The APC in Enugu State has no agenda for the people. Look at the unfortunate thing the man (Nnaji) presented as his manifesto. It’s full of inconsistencies, lies, and confusion. It’s a scam. Enugu will collapse under him if we allow him to win. But he can’t even win his polling unit. I know him very well. He is my friend but I can’t give him my vote, even if he is contesting for councilor,” the angry former APC member stressed.
It is not clear when Mr. Nnaji intends to quit the race, or whether he would be persuaded by those close to him to remain the party candidate and fail honourably at the election to avoid embarrassment.
Our correspondent authoritatively gathered that the APC candidate was once a placeholder for one of the politicians in the state in 1999, and has been battling with political misfortune since then.
