Growing up in Enugu State in the 1970s, the commonest medicine for fever, cold, aches and pain was APC. Every mother had those over-the-counter, white looking tablets, handy in a small jar, at home. Our village dispenser, in charge of the community dispensary at Nwankwo, Ogwofia-Owa, one Romanus Ozobu (God rest his soul), would grind it, and with a little water, force it down our young throats to quench the fever and aches that followed the reckless plays and junkets.
That APC meant a combination of Aspirin, Phenacetin, and Caffeine, which is no longer in use. But the APC of my interest today, is the All Progressive Congress, a party formerly derided in the Southeast, as Janjaweed Ideology. Those who supported the party then, were reminded that the medical APC was no longer in use, and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), taunted the party as an expired drug. To propagate APC as an alternative to PDP, in the state, was considered an insalubrious anathema.
A few ignored the abuses, and continued to support and propagate the party. Today, the governor of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah, and majority members of the PDP at all levels in the state, have joyously ingested APC, and they are looking forward to the party returning them to power in 2027.
This column which has for the past ten years recommended APC as an alternative to PDP, joyously welcome them to the progressive party. They must inculcate the Igbo saying: “Obialu be onye abiagbu kwe n’eya”.
In my most recent piece on Governor Peter Mbah barely two months ago, which I christened: “Dilemma of Governor Mbah”, I had given ample reasons why Mbah should move over to APC. I quote extensively: “With the PDP doddering, Governor Peter Mbah who got elected by a controversial razor tin vote advantage in 2023 must be weighing his options, as the race to the 2027 general election dominates the political landscape. Mbah’s challenge is made worse by the fact that the politically conservative Enugu State voters, appears to have shown inflexibility with the recent result of the Enugu South Urban Constituency reordered election.”
I went further: “Apparently, to the shock of Mbah and his supporters, one Bright Ngene, who originally won the state legislative assembly election in 2023, again won the reordered election after postponements arising from repeated disruptions. To make it more embarrassing for the ruling party in the state, Ngene of the Labour Party, who was sentenced to seven-years imprisonment for a community related dispute, won the election from the prison. It remains to be seen whether he will serve what is remaining of his tenure from the prisons.”
I also stated: “From the whiplashing the PDP received in the 2023 general election in the state in the hands of the Labour Party (LP) and the recent mud on its face in the Enugu South Urban Constituency reordered election, the PDP on whose platform Mbah was elected is seriously in decline. The PDP which dominated the state like a colossus, making it nigh impossible for any other party to breath in the state must be wondering what happened to her glorious days in the sun.”
As the new leader of APC in the state, Governor Mbah’s biggest challenge would be how to harmonize the interest of the decampees from the PDP with those of the APC members, which they met on ground. Of course, the temptation would be to hijack most of the available positions, and yield little to the old members of APC. I hope the governor also realizes that he needs all the help he can get, to move those who voted for him in PDP over to the APC.
It will be poor appreciation of political idiosyncrasies for the governor and his team to think that moving from PDP to APC, automatically means the addition of the voters on both sides to become one. A lot of work needs to be done to convince the PDP voters that APC is not the demonized caricature that they painted it as, prior to this transition. One of the surest way to do this, is by ensuring a peaceful harmonization of contending interests, under the banner of new APC.
Those contending against the entrance of Governor Mbah into APC, led by the erstwhile state party chairman, Barrister Ugo Agballa, should not be discarded without giving them a hearing. Now that the tide has turned, may be they would be willing to make peace, if given a chance. While arguing that they be given a fair hearing, this writer urges them to appreciate the enormous advantage the governor brings to the party in the state. Without the combination of forces, there was no chance for APC to win over the state, all by its former self.
Luckily, Governor Mbah has shown himself worthy of a second term, within two years of his administration. So, he should be encouraged to deliver on the great promises he has set for the state. It would be a great disservice to the state to undermine the giant infrastructural developments he has been pursuing, and so, I urge those opposed to his emergence to give peace a chance. Running to the court would only compound the situation for those accused of anti-party activities, even as they may make the party weaker.
Again, the state APC needs peace within its rank to deliver a reasonable percentage of vote to the party at the presidential election in 2027. Such delivery would aid the receipt of greater federal interventions in the state. For instance, Governor Mbah’s promise of 1,000 megawatts of electricity through coal needs the support of the federal government to succeed. Since the right over coal, which is a mineral resource, falls within the exclusive legislative list, the governor needs the approval of the federal government to explore it.
As I wrote earlier this year, in January, in a piece I tiled: “Two Ideas Men”, Governor Mbah and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are men of ideas, and a synchronization of their God-given talents would benefit the state and the country at large. As I wrote back then: “So, when PBAT went to Enugu State, last Saturday, this writer was excited that a knowledgeable president was visiting a knowledgeable governor. Instead of a clash of ideas, there will be a synergy of ideas.”
While President Tinubu is pushing to deliver $1 trillion national economy, Governor Mbah is working to move the state economy to $30bn. As the PDP flag is lowered for the APC flag, in my beloved Enugu State, we wait to see what further impetus it would wrought to the pace of governance. Congratulations NdiEnugu. Let President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda join forces with Governor Mbah’s promise of tomorrow in Enugu State.
