Olusegun Ariyo
A former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ray Nnaji, has criticised Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, describing it as a “grave political mistake.”
Nnaji spoke in an interview with Urban Express News on Tuesday, noting that although Mbah had the constitutional right to defect, the move would eventually backfire.
The remark comes after Mbah Formally Dumped the People’s Democratic Party. for the Ruling APC
Reacting to the development, the PDP chieftain also accused Mbah of staging a crowd during his formal reception into the APC, claiming that those who attended the event were hired.
“I must tell you that the governor succeeded in renting a crowd. The people who came there were hired. The governor is not on the ground. He is more interested in the elites and his financial base than in the common people,” Nnaji said.
Speaking further, Nnaji blamed the party’s national leadership for the spate of defections across the country, alleging that poor leadership and inaction had weakened the party’s influence.
He also alleged that Mbah left some loyalists behind in the PDP to maintain control of the party’s structure in Enugu State, but warned that the strategy would fail.
Nnaji dismissed claims that Mbah’s defection would weaken opposition forces in the state, noting that recent political history had shown that voters, not elites, determine election outcomes.
“The problem PDP has is poor leadership. If the chairman had lived up to expectations, he wouldn’t have allowed these defections. Even those who left—how many are being challenged in court? What steps has he taken to make them regret their actions?
“We are waiting to see what happens in Enugu because we learned the governor left remnants of PDP members to control the party while enjoying his stay in APC. But from my experience, he has made a very big mistake.
“How can anyone say it gives him an edge? Peter Obi, within a few months, gathered more than six million votes. It’s the people that determine who wins,” Nnaji said.
