Enugu ADC under attack as APC moves to infiltrate it

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be fidgeting in Enugu State. For a party that is deeply hated in the Southeast – and for a reason – APC has reasons to be really scared ahead of the 2027 polls.

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Before Governor Peter Mbah handed over to APC the Peoples Democratic Party’s structures last year, Enugu has maintained a one-party status since 1999. The grand strategy had been to infiltrate the opposition, buying out major stakeholders and eliminating the obstinate ones.

So Enugu PDP had mastered and thrived on rigging. But in the 2023 general elections, which proved nationwide that power belongs to the people, Enugu was hit the hardest. The myth of PDP impregnable strongholds was shattered, and voters’ resolve prevailed against the elitists’ gang-up. Even Peter Mbah clearly lost.

Another, perhaps bigger, challenges are laid before the governor as 2023 elections draw closer. He is in the worst party, and he is generally perceived as sitting on stolen mandate. He’ll be seeking reelection against the backdrop of growing public resentment as his policies continue to make more voters poorer.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has replaced the 2023 Labour Party. Peter Obi’s presence in it has raised hope in Enugu, and the sturdy prospects are driving Peter Mbah mad.

Enugu State chapter of ADC announced an attempt to hijack it’s leadership. In a statement, yesterday, the party’s State chairperson Comr Stella Chukwuma said a certain person is soliciting for fund from the general public using ADC.

The party didn’t only distance itself from the fraudulent. It also exposed the person behind it: Account Name: John Okechukwu Nwokabia, Bank: Zenith Bank, Account Number – 1005664255.

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The obvious motive was to insult the party leadership’s integrity while also planting early divisions more than a year before the contests.

ADC is steadily capturing more grounds in the state as APC expectedly stalls. Despite the raving publicity and outreaches the APC e-registration of membership has remained a sound failure particularly Awgu, Ezeagu, Udenu and about 9 more council areas across Enugu.

“Anyone who refuses to count our vote in 2027, we will count him” – Peter Obi

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Mr Peter Obi has realised that you don’t win elections in Nigeria with soft heart. You have to be as hard a steel.

His speech, yesterday, at Akwa Ibom State resonated with his teaming supporters across the country.

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“In the upcoming election in 2027, anybody who refuses to count our vote, we will count the person join. Anybody who refused to count our votes in 2027, we will count him,” Obi said to million cheers of a crowd.

The former Anambra State governor had decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party in 2023 and joined Labour Party. He ran a successful presidential campaign which saw probably the highest voters turnout in Nigeria history since 1993. But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu winner in what was widely considered to be flawed.

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During the buildups of the elections, Tinubu has famously encouraged his supporters to use violence to “snatch” power. Obi, who was following “due processes” in 2023, now talks tough. And that’s exactly the kind of language the Obidient Movement wants to hear from their leader.

ADC plots to hijack all seats in Enugu East ahead of 2027 elections

Enugu is likely to witness yet another political turbulence, even greater than that of 2023, in 2027. As the results of the March 18 2023 National Assembly and State Assembly elections rolled out in the state, it was clear that the people themselves had spoken – for the first time.

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The ruling Peoples Democratic Party suffered a resounding defeat as the opposition Labour Party won 7 out of 8 seats and 14 out of 24 seats in the Houses of Representatives and Assembly respectively. Although most of the victories were later overturned through litigations, the outcomes of March 18th were first of their kinds in Enugu State and they really rattled major political players and flattened their egos.

Could history repeat itself in 2023? Comr. Sunny Edeh, a political analyst with vast experience in the state politics, answered yes.

“PDP had bad leaders from top to down. They were overconfident and grossly underestimated the power of the people.

“For years, they had ruled, without even a thought on the hardship and plights of the ordinary man,” Edeh said, added that people hated PDP and saw 2023 as payback opportunity.

LP has died, but another dangerous party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), is cooking some bitter surprises for the ruling elite ahead of 2027.

Why did Enugu East stakeholders host ADC meeting yesterday?

Yesterday, a group came together in Enugu East district and birthed a formidable coalition under ADC. Speaking during the meeting, the chairman of the stakeholders’ meeting and National Assistant Secretary of the ADC, Hon. Morris Edeh, threw light on the ruling APC weaknesses.

“In the meeting today, we had members of PDP, APC, ADC and mainly the Labour Party,” Edeh started. He said that the meeting was to harmonize various positions, and that similar meetings had already been concluded in Enugu West and Enugu North zones.

“The feat achieved by the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections will be a child’s play compared to what is coming in 2027,” a bigwig from Isi-Uzo local government area who defected from the Labour Party, Prof. Chris Onah, said.

Many other stakeholders echoed the same ambition, all stressing there are loopholes ADC must exploit in order to stage a disaster for APC in 2027.

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InfoWarsHQ reported that Governor Peter Mbah defected to APC late last year. Members of his cabinet, council chairmen, members of the State Assembly as well as other numerous stakeholders had followed him, leaving PDP lifeless.

But it’s left to be seen how ADC could mount a serious threat in a state that’s infamous for poisoning opposition parties. In fact, who bears ADC presidential ticket would be the yardstick to measure the weight of the party’s chapter in Enugu.