The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has vowed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will do everything within the law to take over Enugu State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 general elections.

Nnaji, the leader of APC in Enugu State, made this declaration at Ogurute, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, during a mini-rally where over 500 defectors from the PDP, Labour Party (LP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) formally joined the APC.

The Minister criticised the Enugu State Government under Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as “indiscriminate demolitions of markets and shops” without adequate notice or compensation.

He said these actions have inflicted severe hardship on traders, leading to the deaths of several business owners.

“Enugu has never had it this bad. I wonder how our people, who are predominantly businessmen and traders, can survive when their means of livelihood are being destroyed without any alternative.

“Ogige Nsukka market has been bulldozed to ashes without notice. Holy Ghost, Garki, Abakpa, and Ogurute markets have also suffered the same fate. We cannot continue like this.”

Nnaji vowed that the APC would “liberate the people” and bring governance closer to them. “Come rain, come shine, we are going to fight, we are going to do everything humanly possible and within the ambit of the law to ensure that by 2027, our people will start rejoicing again,” he said.

The Minister accused local authorities and PDP leaders in Igbo-Eze North of attempting to stop the APC rally by blocking access to the original venue, which forced the organisers to move to another location. “This is a clear case of abuse of authority and political intolerance,” he said.

Nnaji also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, an indigene of Igbo-Eze North, as Chief of Naval Staff. He described the appointment as a source of pride for the people.

While welcoming the defectors, Nnaji assured that the APC is open to new members but emphasised that the party’s structure would remain intact.

He further pledged that If APC wins the 2027 governorship election, the party would run a people-oriented government.

APC State Chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, who accompanied Nnaji to the rally, described the mass defection as a rainbow movement and encouraged others to join the party ahead of 2027.

He claimed that smaller parties like Labour Party (LP) lost out in 2023 because they lacked the structure to protect their votes.

“Politics is like a market; one person does not constitute the market. If you belong to a one-man-show party, you can easily be rigged out,” Agballah said, citing LP’s loss in Igbo-Eze North despite winning in several positions.

Among those who defected to APC were Hon. Ikechukwu Ogbugo, a former executive vice chairman of Igbo-Eze North LGA under PDP; Hon. Barr. Osita Ugwuoke; Hon. Festus Ayogu (Bravo); Chief Oliver Idoko (Ego Amaka Transport); Hon. Emmanuel Itodo (E-Gas); and Prof. Onyeke A. Onyeke, a former House of Assembly member under old Enugu State. (Daily Sun)