From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Ahead of the declaration of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the newly inaugurated Chairman of the Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Committee, Dr. Ben Nwoye, has announced the lifting of suspensions slammed on prominent members of the party in the state, declaring all previous disciplinary actions by the Ugo Agballah-led executive as “null and void.”
Those affected by the reinstatement include former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former Governor Sullivan Chime, former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly and current Caretaker Committee Secretary, Eugene Odoh, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, and former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, among others.
Nwoye, who spoke with journalists at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, yesterday, shortly after arriving from Abuja, said the decision was taken to restore unity and rebuild trust within the party ahead of what he described as a “new political dawn” for Enugu and the Southeast.
“All suspensions, whether communicated through audio messages, letters, or radio announcements, are hereby declared null and void,” Nwoye stated.
He said the time had come for every APC stakeholder in Enugu to unite and prepare for a major political realignment that would redefine the region’s place in national politics.
“For the past 10 years, Enugu State has remained in opposition. But all that ends on Tuesday when Governor Peter Mbah declares for the APC — and he is not coming alone,” he said.
Nwoye revealed that Governor Mbah, his appointees, councillors, state lawmakers, National Assembly members, and the entire state executive council would formally join the APC on Tuesday, October 14, describing it as a “historic alignment between transformation and renewed hope.”
He said Mbah’s expected defection would end years of political isolation and open new doors of inclusion and development for the Southeast.
“Where Enugu goes, the Southeast goes. This marks the beginning of the Southeast’s political reawakening and full integration into national politics,” Nwoye declared.
The caretaker chairman, who was sworn in on Friday at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja, commended Governor Mbah’s leadership style, calling him a “beacon of innovation and transformational leadership.”
“Before now, the Southeast had been sidelined from the main protocols of governance. But with Mbah’s entry into the APC, the Igbo story will change for the better. Peter Mbah is not joining the APC for himself but for his people,” he said.
Highlighting Mbah’s achievements, Nwoye described Enugu State as a model of modern governance and efficiency.
“We are no longer talking about just paving roads. We are talking about disruptive innovation, coding initiatives, and new governance systems — all achieved within two years. If he could do that as an opposition governor, imagine what he can achieve as a progressive,” he added.
He expressed confidence that the synergy between Mbah’s Transformation Agenda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Vision would accelerate economic growth and federal presence in the Southeast.
“When we say Enugu needs to be connected to the centre, this is what it truly means,” Nwoye said.
