Amid the pressure on the Enugu State Governor, Barr Peter Mbah to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, the governor has shunned all the recent meetings by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The most recent of the meetings is that of the PDP Governors’ Forum ongoing in Zamfara State.
NATIONAL POST reports that the meeting kicked-off on Friday with a gala night, which was attended by the governors, some of the members of the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, as well as other PDP leaders.
Some of the governors at the meeting were Seyi Makinde; the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke; Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri.
At the meeting, the governors are expected to strategize ahead of the November 15-16 elective national convention.
Governor Mbah was conspicuously absent. However, he sent his Deputy, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai. On Thursday, the governor commissioned the remodeled iconic Presidential Hotel, located in the Coal City Capital.
Earlier in the week, Southern leaders of the PDP also held a strategic meeting in Lagos State to discuss the issue of zoning of party positions, but Governor Mbah was also absent. Ossai represented him as well.
Also, the last National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the PDP held in July was attended by the Enugu governor.
It could recalled that Mbah, who is the leader of the party in the South-East had repeatedly expressed displeasure over the treatment of the zone by the party.
There has been insistence by the PDP leaders from the zone that Hon. SKE Ude-Okoye should be adopted as the party’s National Secretary, but that demand has not been heeded.
At some point, the PDP South-East leaders threatened to pull out from the party if that demand was not met.
But at the last NEC meeting, Senator Samuel Anyanwu was instead stamped as the PDP National Secretary.
Mbah's continuous absence is seen in some quarters as a demonstration of his anger over the party leadership's treatment of the South-East zone.
Recently, there has been intense pressure on the governor to join the APC.
Many stakeholders of the party, including the immediate past chairman in Enugu, Barr Ben Nwoye, former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu, other foundational members and the youth wing of the party, have all been wooing Mbah to join the party.
Meanwhile, a top official, who spoke under anonymity, said the Governor is busy delivering good jobs in Enugu.
“Well, what matters now is that you can see the governor is busy working in Enugu, commissioning projects here and there.
“Enugu people are happy and that is the most important thing; this is also why he has become a beautiful bride because people like associating with someone that is working,” he stated.
Asked whether he had quit the PDP since he was no longer attending meetings, the official said: “For now, he is still a member of the PDP; one must not attend meetings. You still see the PDP flag on his official vehicle; when anything changes you will know,” he added.
NATIONAL POST recalls that apart from the Presidential Hotel, Governor Mbah also commissioned bus terminals in different parts of the state, as well as 100 CNG buses.
A resident of Enugu, who also spoke to our correspondent, said Mbah doesn't need any party to win election in the state.
"He has performed creditably. So all these talks about detections and parties are distractions.
"Majority of the Enugu people are happy with the work he is doing. I am not a politician but I can tell you that whether in PDP, APC or as an independent candidate, Governor Mbah will win his re-election," she said emphatically.
