A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, has asserted that Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah did not legitimately win the 2023 governorship election, following the governor's recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sani, a former spokesman to ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, made the claim on Wednesday while addressing reporters.
He insisted that the PDP remains stable despite a wave of defections, which he described as "externally induced."
"What is happening within the PDP is being orchestrated by fifth columnists. Mbah’s defection will not rattle the PDP because he is swimming against the tide. In fact, he did not even win the election," he said.
The governor's defection, which took place earlier this week, has intensified the political rivalry in the state. In his defection speech, Governor Mbah cited a desire for a "visionary partnership as his reason for joining the ruling party.
"I am committed to advancing the state’s interests and expressed confidence that the APC’s platform would provide greater opportunities for collaboration and growth," Mbah said, adding that the move was beneficial for transformative change in Enugu State and Nigeria.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mbah the winner with 160,895 votes, defeating his closest rival, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP), who polled 157,552 votes (a margin of 3,343 votes).
However, Edeoga and the Labour Party rejected the results, challenging them in court.
They presented allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities, particularly in Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA), where they cited evidence of over-voting.
The election tribunal's dismissal of these petitions solidified Mbah's position, though the controversy has persisted.
Comments
Post a Comment