The Enugu Group for Good Governance (E-3G), a civil society organization, has commended the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, for focusing on issue-based campaigns.
The group also lauded Mbah for towing the path of constitutionalism by suing the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, over alleged libel.
This is contained in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Odinaka Okechukwu, on Thursday in Enugu.
Okechukwu said that Mbah’s politics of decorum, decency and people-oriented issue-based campaigns had helped to restore and retain sanity in the 2023 electioneering in the state.
He said that E-3G regretted that the campaigns of calumny were degrading the state’s democracy, while unwittingly narrowing the governorship seat to Mbah, the only candidate that had articulated and diligently canvassed a viable manifesto to Enugu people.
According to him, in spite of some incivility thrown into the electioneering space in the state, only the manifesto, credibility, and track record of individual candidates will make a difference to the electorate.
He condemned what he termed some political parties and their candidates’ failure to stick to people-oriented issues.
The national coordinator noted that the continued attacks on the PDP and Mbah could not earn any candidate any vote, as Enugu people regard them all as PDP members in different vehicles.
He said: “We note with serious concern the predilection of Enugu opposition parties for smear campaigns and fixation on personalities rather than articulating and canvassing feasible manifestos to broaden the choices of Enugu electorates.
“So far, they have not offered the people alternative blueprints to choose from.
“It is equally instructive that the smear campaigns against Mbah have not only failed fact-checks, but has unwittingly narrowed the governorship seat to him as the only candidate that has presented a well received manifesto to Enugu voters.”
Okechukwu, however, urged political candidates to redirect their energies to issues-based campaigns rather than attack on personalities.
“Which of the gubernatorial candidates is not an offshoot of the PDP?
“Is it Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, who served as a Member of the House of Representatives, Special Adviser to Deputy Senate President, Special Assistant to then President Goodluck Jonathan, and a two-term Commissioner in the Ugwuanyi administration and only defected to the Labour Party in June 2022 after losing the governorship ticket?
“Or is it Frank Nweke of APGA, who served as Chief of Staff to former Gov. Chimaroke Nnamani; Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties, and Youth Development; Minister of Information and National Orientation; and Minister of Information and Communication in the PDP administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and was a PDP member until 2022?
“Or Chief Uche Nnaji, the Enugu APC Governorship Candidate, who is a big time PDP contractor, who was appointed into several Federal Boards, and served as Special Assistant to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as PDP’s National Chairman just a few years ago?
“Or, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, who was both a commissioner under former Gov. Chimaroke Nnamani government and a delegate to the PDP National Convention/ Presidential Primary for the 2019 general election?
