Former Enugu State Governor Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo has thrown his weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr. Peter Mbah, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Ossai, a lawyer.
He said his decision was predicated on the track records and antecedents of the duo in the private sector.
Nwodo endorsed the ticket at Ogbede, headquarters of Igbo Etiti Local Government Area, when Mbah and his entourage paid a “thank you” visit to the council.
He stressed that the choice of Mbah and his running mate, would secure landslide victory for the party.
Addressing party members and supporters, Nwodo, who is a former National Chairman of the PDP, expressed confidence that with the candidacy of Mbah and his vision for the state, Enugu State would make tremendous progress in technology, infrastructure, development and beyond.
Describing Mbah “as ICT compliant and an enabler of fourth and fifth industrial revolutions”, Nwodo promised to rally the people to vote for the party’s gubernatorial standard bearer.
He further stressed that the local government would queue behind Mbah by giving him maximum support in the election.
“We all know the position of our great party, PDP, in Enugu State. Since we formed the party in 1998, we all know that from council election to local government election, to house of assembly election, national assembly, governorship and presidential elections, Enugu State has been emerging victorious with 100 per-cent in all elective positions.
“We are praying to God that the victories will be replicated in the forthcoming 2023 elections. PDP has solved our problems and it will continue to solve our collective challenges in the near future. We thank God for these our children —Barr. Peter Mbah and Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai — that have been elected as the PDP governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively,” Nwodo added.
Extolling the innovative qualities and uncanny attributes of Mbah before supporters, the elder statesman said the PDP flagbearer would be the best for the state, having been recognised as a global player in setting the 21st century economic order.
He said: “I will emphasize on just two or three things so that our people will be happier than they were before the coming of our visitors.
“Number one, the person our party has elected to be the governor – Barr. Peter Mbah, has discussed in details his agenda for the state. I hope he’s going to explain more when it’s time for him to talk.
“However, I am delighted that we have been able to produce resourceful persons like Peter Mbah in Enugu State. He is one of those driving the fourth generation of development in the world. You know, we had the first industrial revolution, the second, the third, and we are in the fourth. But if you have been able to discuss personally with Peter, you would appreciate the fact that he has moved from the fourth industrial revolution to the fifth industrial revolution.
“Not only is his vision global, his vision is matched with convincing methodology to actualise that vision because it is not enough to visualise what some people may think is possible. But when you visualise it and you have the roadmap to achieve it, then that vision is almost fulfilled.
“Peter has very clear roadmap to achieve what he has in mind for Enugu State. You know, my generation is analogue, but Peter is ICT compliant. So where he is likely to take Enugu State to is where the world is today. And to my understanding, his agenda is anchored mainly on economic emancipation of our people and infrastructural development of our people.
“Now the economy will solve the problem of poverty, it will solve the problem of unemployment, and when our people are gainfully employed, the question of insecurity and crime will be reduced to a minimum and with infrastructural development, people who want to empower themselves in various aspects of life have the enabling environment to dream and to actualise. That is what I take from his vision.
“What is more exciting is when you also have the opportunity to discuss with his deputy, you see they are two gentlemen sleeping on the same bed and dreaming the same dream. Because I spoke to Ifeanyi Ossai independent of Peter, and I was asking myself whether I was talking to Peter or Ifeanyi based on their shared philosophy. He was almost explaining the same vision that his principal had enunciated. It is a synergy when two people are working in tandem; they work faster than when one person is working alone. So, I see an administration that is coming in which the governor and the deputy governor are compatible and working in synergy.
“So, my people what we have been expecting is not all I am going to reel out here because of time, and I can’t exhaust the unassailable qualities of these two candidates. I want to encourage our people to be strong and confident that these candidatures will give us an Enugu State we will be proud of.”
Mbah expressed his delight at the turnout of the party supporters despite the short notice. He informed them that he had visited with his team to appreciate their support during the party’s primary election which produced him as the flagbearer.
He reiterated his commitment to ensuring the state’s economy is moved to an enviable height, declaring that if elected, the people would feel the positive impacts of his administration in terms of job creations, employment, infrastructure, healthcare and security. He, however, said his visit was not meant for campaign while promising to unveil his manifesto for the state in due course.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the local government area, Ikenna Nwodo who hosted Mbah’s team has reiterated the people’s total support for the PDP’s candidate.
According to him, it’s the mandate of the local government to ensure that total victory is secured for all the PDP’s candidates in the 2023 general elections.
At Umulokpa, headquarters of Uzo Uwani Council, Mbah said Enugu is not landlocked, adding that he will make it oil producing state if elected as governor in 2023.
The governorship candidate later paid a visit to Igbo Etiti Local Government Area where he also received a rousing reception from PDP members and supporters.
Mbah in his separate visits to the two local governments said he visited to express his sincere gratitude to the people for their unalloyed support to him during the recent PDP governorship primary election in the state.
He assured the cheering crowds that he would reciprocate their gesture with good governance if elected as governor of the state in 2023. While explaining that his visits had nothing to do with electioneering campaign, he said it was morally and politically right for him and his team to go back to the people who had entrusted their future in his capacity to move the state forward.
Addressing the party’s stakeholders at Uzo Uwani local government headquarters, the business mogul reiterated his commitment to harness the potentials in the local government area such as agriculture, coastal bodies and mineral deposits to drive development and create jobs for the teeming youths in the council area.
He said his team had earlier studied the untapped assets in the council area and came up with the design and workable template on how to create an urban centre in the area, adding that he intended to industrialise the state through leveraging on the abundant resources nature had blessed the state with.
“We came here today with one primary objective, and that is to appreciate all of you for your unswerving support which you showed to me on the 25th day of May, 2022 by giving me 100% votes at the PDP governorship primary. We’ve come to express our profound gratitude and say, thank you. Since this visit is not intended to be used for campaign because it is not yet time, we shall come back once the ban is lifted for electioneering activities and tell you our programmes for this wonderful local government area.
“We came to tell you that you have not made any mistake for voting for us. You made the right choice and we are grateful. We are, therefore, determined to exploit the assets in Uzo Uwani. I’m aware that Enugu State is not a landlocked state because of the coastal bodies found in Uzo Uwani. We are going to utilise it for the people of Uzo Uwani. Enugu State is blessed with huge oil deposit and gas reserve because of Uzo Uwani. Through harnessing these resource endorsements, we are going to make Enugu State an oil producing state.
“We have inlands waterways and we are going to develop our waterway transportation. Uzo Uwani is historical in many ways; both in terms of movement of goods and movement of persons, the local government plays a preeminent role in this country,” Mbah observed.
He described the council area as a dormant and sleeping giant and promised to reinvigorate all the dormant assets to give the local government the best economic outlook through industrialisation.
Earlier on, the council boss, Hon Chukwudi Celestine Nnadozie, conveyed the local government’s appreciation to Dr. Mbah and his running mate, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, for finding time to visit them despite their busy schedules. He expressed his delight over the decision of the governorship flag bearer to commence his thank you tour with Uzo Uwani local government area.
Nnadozie who extolled Mbah’s spirit of gratitude, pledged that the local government would continue to commit their time and energy towards PDP’s victory in the state.
The Chairman, Odimma Nsukka and PDP’s candidate for Nsukka/Igboeze South, Engr. Vita Abba, said the PDP gubernatorial candidate is God-sent to redeem the state through his entrepreneurial wealth of experience. He further lauded Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his foresight on who would succeed him.
Describing the choice of Mbah and his deputy as innovative, he reiterated the commitment of Odimma Nsukka to work for the victory of the duo.
Other speakers who pledged support for Mbah and all the PDP candidates included the member representing Uzo Uwani Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Barr. Josephat Okika, State Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. Matthew Idu, Special Adviser to the Governor, Hon. Cornelius Onwubuya, State PDP Women Leader, Mrs Vera Ezegwu, Dr. Mike Ajogwu, SAN, Hon. Tony Chigbo, among others.
Dr Mbah and his team later visited Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area at the cpuncil headquarters in Ogbede where they were received with rousing fanfares as members of the council area trooped out en masse to welcome them.
Expressing his delight at what he saw, Mbah informed the people that he had only come to appreciate their support and to assure them that he would not disappoint them. “We came to assure you that because of the decision you took on the 25th May, 2022, our tomorrow is here. There is no more procrastination,” the soft-spoken technocrat said.
He promised to reinvent the state through his economic blueprint and move the state’s economy from an annual GDP of 4 billion dollars to 30 billion dollars, saying the quantum leap would be driven by innovation and disruption. He reassured the people of inclusive administration through development, infrastructure and empowerment.
The Chairman of the council Ikenna Nwodo, stated that the PDP has been winning all elective positions in the council since 1998 and would repeat the same feat for Mbah in 2023.
“The combination of Peter Mbah and Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai is of global standard and that is what Enugu state needs at the moment,” he told the cheering gathering.