Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has promised to build on the achievements of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration, if elected.
Mbah, who made the promise in his acceptance speech after he was declared the winner of the PDP governorship primary in Enugu, also pledged to serve the people of the state with humility and moderation, openness and inclusiveness, and simplicity and forthrightness.
The industrialist and former commissioner for Finance in Enugu State, from Owo, Nkanu East Local Government Area, won the PDP governorship primary with a wide margin of 790 votes out of the 807 votes cast by the delegates to defeat his closest opponent, Chijioke Edeoga, who scored nine votes.
Announcing the result, Chairman of the Electoral Committee from the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Ambuno Sunday said Chinyeaka Ohaa scored three votes while Ike Ekweremadu and Chukwunta Gilbert got one vote each.
Prior to the commencement of voting, eight governorship aspirants out of the 17 contestants stepped down for Mbah and asked delegates who wanted to vote for them to cast their votes for him.
Speaking further, Mbah expressed gratitude to Ugwuanyi for enhancing the democratic process of his emergence.
He assured the governor that “posterity, indeed, will reserve a noble seat for you (Ugwuanyi) when the history of this state is written.”
Thanking the delegates and other party members for their support and solidarity, Mbah applauded the members of PDP governorship electoral panel from the party’s NWC as well as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by the Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Emeka Joseph Ononamadu, for their contributions to the peaceful and transparent conduct of the exercise.
The Enugu PDP governorship candidate appreciated Jim Nwobodo for the fatherly role he played during his consultations, disclosing that “Jim, as he is fondly called, continues to remind us that this is a brotherly affair and this is what we are witnessing here today.”
Mbah equally thanked his co-aspirants, especially “those eight aspirants who ceded their ambition for me,” for their understanding, cooperation and sacrifices.
Commending the state leadership for steadily steering the affairs of the party seamlessly, the PDP governorship candidate appreciated the security agencies and the Fourth Estate of the Realm for their contributions towards the success of the exercise.