Enugu 2023: Stop malicious campaigns, face issues – Ohanaeze to politicians

The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has waded into the issues surrounding the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.

Barr. Peter Mbah, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been at the centre of the storm, facing allegations of certificate forgery and syphoning of Enugu funds.

A former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo had last week cautioned that Enugu politics was fast assuming a dangerous dimension.

He said during his active days in politics, together with late C.C. Onoh, he never played the politics of character assassination.

Similarly, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, at a press briefing in Enugu on Monday, urged politicians to desist from playing bitter politics.

Okwu, who said the 2023 guber elections in the State should not be “a do or die affair”, noted that only one person would win the governorship election scheduled for March 11, 2023.

He said, “the press conference became necessary owing to the latest developments in the politics of Enugu State.

“For a few weeks now, Enugu has remained in the news from one allegation to another against the PDP governorship candidate, Barr. Peter Mbah.

“The latest in the round of these allegations is that Mbah did not take part in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme.

“We also listened to Mbah’s explanations when he appeared on a Solid FM phone-in programme and are satisfied that he indeed completed the exercise.”

“Our belief is that now that this has been laid to rest, all the candidates and their supporters should embark on issue-based campaigns. They should tell Enugu people what they have in stock for them if elected governor.

“Name-calling, character assassination and bitter politics should stop. There is life after the 2023 elections,” Okwu stated.

He restated that the youths remained in support of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his choice of Mbah as successor, stressing that “the PDP candidate has provided a clear roadmap and successor plan to take Enugu to the next level.”

Meanwhile, Mbah had during the radio programme said the entire allegations were being planted by the opposition to tarnish his image.

He maintained that he completed his NYSC scheme and that he had never been involved in any form of fraud.