2027: APC vows to take over South-East as Enugu governor joins party

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to ensure a complete takeover of power in the South-East during the 2027 general election.

It was also revealed that Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, is set to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC on Tuesday next week.

The party’s National Working Committee made this known at the inauguration of a seven-man caretaker committee for the APC in Enugu State, held in Abuja on Friday.

The caretaker committee has Dr Ben Nwoye as Chairman, Eugene Odoh as Secretary, while Fidelia Njoeze, Peter Chime, Dr Oby Ajih, Dr Chiedozie Nwafor and Emma Ekeh serve as members.

Inaugurating the committee, APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, emphasised the need for concerted efforts to strengthen the party’s influence in the South-East region ahead of the 2027 general election.

Yilwatda, who said the party’s National Working Committee followed due process in dissolving the state’s former working committee, charged the new team to unite members and work for the APC’s success in future elections.

“We are working towards elections. We want to ensure that we have overwhelming success and outing in 2027. The Renewed Hope Agenda has achieved much. Within the health sector, we have delivered three cancer centres out of the six promised in four years. We are sure that in the next two years we will deliver the remaining three.

“We promised to revitalise 10,000 primary health centres. We have delivered over 6,000 already. We are sure that in the next two years 10,000 will be met. For every promise we make, we keep the hope of Nigerians alive.

“You will work with the governor to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda is promoted both at the state and national level. You are the foot soldiers of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Promote it. Sell it. Do well as a government.

“In 2023, 24 states were owing salaries. Of the 12 states that were paying, they were borrowing to pay. Today, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we move from roughly about N400 billion being shared at FAAC to about N2.25 trillion a month. What was shared in four months in the past is now shared in one month.

“Encourage your party and your governor to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda delivers projects, social welfare and social protection to our people. That is how we will have reason to go back to the grassroots and win the election in 2027.”

Addressing journalists after the inauguration, the caretaker committee chairman, Dr Ben Nwoye, said the panel would hit the ground running to ensure that Enugu and the entire South-East align with the ruling party.

“We took it to the governor and he has promised and agreed to be part of us, to move this party and ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Tinubu comes to Enugu State.

“For the past 10 years, Enugu State has remained in opposition. But all that will change on Tuesday, the 14th of October, 2024, when the governor will be declaring for APC. And the governor is not coming alone.

“The governor is coming in with 260 ward councillors. They will be declaring with him. He will be coming in with the 24 members of the House of Assembly, members of the National Assembly and the entire Executive Council.

“What we are seeing now is that Enugu State, through the transformative agenda of Governor Peter Mbah, is going to merge with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency Bola Tinubu.

“And it’s not just Enugu State. You know, where Enugu goes, the South-East goes. You recall that in the last election, the opposition scored the most wins in Enugu State. And we are saying, never again.”