As the 2027 general elections approach, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared its determination to secure full control over the South-East geopolitical zone.
In a significant political development, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is poised to switch allegiance from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC next Tuesday.
This strategic move was highlighted during the launch of a seven-member caretaker committee for the APC in Enugu State, signaling the party’s intensified efforts at both national and state levels.
The caretaker committee comprises Dr. Ben Nwoye as chairman, Hon. Eugene Odoh as secretary, with Fidelia Njoeze, Peter Chime, Dr. Oby Ajih, Dr. Chiedozie Nwafor, and Emma Ekeh serving as members.
At the inauguration ceremony, APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda emphasized the critical need for unified action to bolster the party’s presence in the South-East ahead of the upcoming elections.
Yilwatda explained that the National Working Committee (NWC) had followed proper procedures in dissolving the previous state working committee and tasked the new caretaker team with uniting the party and driving its success in future polls.
“Our focus is on the elections. We aim for a decisive victory in 2027. The Renewed Hope Agenda has already made significant strides. For instance, in healthcare, we committed to establishing six cancer centers within four years and have successfully completed three. We are confident the remaining three will be operational within the next two years,” he stated.
“We also pledged to revamp 10,000 primary health centers and have already upgraded over 6,000. We expect to meet the full target soon. Every promise we make is a commitment to sustaining Nigerians’ optimism,” Yilwatda added.
He urged the committee to collaborate closely with the governor to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda at both state and national levels, describing the committee members as the frontline advocates of this vision. “Promote it vigorously. Demonstrate effective governance. Consider the financial turnaround: in 2023, 24 states struggled with salary payments, and even those paying were borrowing. Today, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, monthly FAAC allocations average around N2.25 trillion, a remarkable improvement,” he noted.
“Encourage your party and governor to continue unveiling projects and social welfare initiatives that will resonate with grassroots voters, ensuring a strong mandate in 2027,” he concluded.
Following the inauguration, caretaker committee chairman Dr. Ben Nwoye told reporters that the team is already mobilizing to integrate Enugu State and the broader South-East region into the APC fold through active political outreach.
“We have engaged the governor, who has committed to joining us and advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda in Enugu State,” Nwoye revealed.
“For a decade, Enugu has been under opposition control, but that is set to change on Tuesday, October 14, 2024, when Governor Mbah officially joins the APC. He will not come alone,” he added.
“Alongside the governor, 260 ward councillors, all 24 members of the State House of Assembly, members of the National Assembly, and the entire executive council will also defect,” Nwoye disclosed.
“This marks a fusion of Governor Mbah’s transformative initiatives with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, creating a powerful alliance,” he explained.
“Enugu’s shift will influence the entire South-East. Recall that in the last election, the opposition dominated Enugu State, but that will no longer be the case,” he asserted.
“With this dedicated team and the governor’s impactful leadership over the past two years, we are confident of a new political era in Enugu and the South-East,” Nwoye concluded.
