- Safiu Kehinde
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has dismissed claims of betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with his defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The governor maintained that his decision to decamp was borne out of the people’s interest and not for his personal ambition.
Mbah made this known while fielding questions from journalists shortly after his defection to the APC in Enugu.
He explained that Enugu people had demanded a stronger platform as they no longer trust the PDP.
“This is not like a betrayal. It is also not abandoning. It is more about thinking I was entrusted with the people’s mandate by the people.
“It is also now incumbent on me carrying that same mandate and trust on a platform that will best serve the people.
“Think about it like this, we have the people under a particular platform giving their mandate to leader.
“And then the same people, it became clear to us that the platform on which that mandate was given may not serve us optimally.
“In consultation with them, we agreed to move to a stronger platform that will best serve them. I don’t see that as a betrayal.
“This is a lot more about the people first before the party.” He said.
The questioned again rephrased back to the governor by Channels TV’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye.
Using the academic setting as analogy, Okinbaloye held that Mbah was schooled by the PDP where he literally graduated from and also won the governorship election.
The journalist thereafter asked why the governor then decided to take the PDP’s certificate to serve the APC.
“The other part to this question is PDP sent you to school, you graduated, and you are now taking their certificate to serve APC.
“That is where the betrayal question comes. PDP sponsored you. PDP took your hand to the people. PDP gave you the victory. You won. After tasting power, you abandoned the ship and move to the APC.
“Does that not sound like some kind of betrayal? Do you have an apology to make to the people who thought that you could represent them?” Okinbaloye asked?
In response, Mbah reiterated that his defection was motivated by the interest of the people and not the party.
He held that Okinbaloye’s analogy might have worked if he had defected out of self-ambition.
“I understand the analogy you’ve just given, But I think that analogy seems to suggest or seems to elevate the party above the people.
“If this was against the interest, if this move would discontinue or affect the continuity of progress that we have witnessed in Enugu, or if indeed it is about self-ambition, then you may be thinking about this, or your analogy may fit.
“But this is a lot more about the people first not about the people.” the governor replied.