National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, has criticized what he described as excessive taxation in Enugu State, particularly affecting the poor masses, while vowing that the APC will unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state come 2027.
Ganduje made these remarks at Akama-Oghe in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu State during a ceremony to officially receive Hon. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha, the member representing Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency in the House of Representatives, into the APC fold. The event, which took place over the weekend, also saw the entire Labour Party structure in the constituency defecting to the APC.
With this defection, Umeha becomes the first elected political office holder to be produced by the APC in Enugu state since the party's inception in 2014. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, and other prominent party members were present at the ceremony.
Notable figures who defected alongside Umeha included Hon. Dennis Amadi, former member of House of Representatives (2015-2023) and Enugu West senatorial candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 general elections; Hon. Emma Ogbozo, LP House of Assembly candidate for Udi North constituency; and Barr. Chibuzor Onyema, LP House of Assembly candidate for Udi South. The entire LP executives from the 40 wards and two local government areas of Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency also joined the APC.
APC Promises Relief from "Excessive Taxation"
Speaking through Chief Emma Eneukwu, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Ganduje declared that the party would take over governance of Enugu state in 2027, claiming that the current PDP-led government is in its last term.
"APC is the transformer giving light to Nigeria," Eneukwu stated. "The taxation they are using to kill the poor people will no longer be there, there will be considerable taxation and not taxing people to kill them."
He added that the defectors had made the right decision by joining the APC, assuring them they would not be disappointed as they had "connected to the national grid."
Minister Questions Enugu Government's Project Claims
Minister Uche Nnaji expressed disappointment over what he described as misleading project presentations by the Enugu state government. He alleged that the state government had invited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to commission an uncompleted project, referring specifically to a smart school at the Government Technical College.
"I know that our people are suffering, the huge allocation that accrues to the state is not being used to work for the people. What they do is make belief; they go to newspapers and electronic media and are advertising what they did not do and claiming they have done it," Nnaji stated.
Strategic Implications for Enugu Politics
Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah, the state chairman of APC, emphasized the strategic importance of the defection, noting that Udi/Ezeagu (also known as Agbaja people) represents the heartbeat of the Wawa people. He attributed the crisis in the Labour Party to leadership failures at both national and state levels.
In his speech, Hon. Umeha described the day as remarkable for aligning Enugu with the center of national politics. "We are supposed to be at the epicenter of national politics, we are supposed to be at the centre where decisions concerning Nigeria are being taken; so our journey to reconnect Enugu state to the administration at the federal level begins today," he stated.
The defection ceremony was attended by several other prominent figures including Prof. Nnanyelugo Ikemounso, Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council; Barr. George, immediate past APC Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate in 2023; and Hon. Obumneme Obodougo, Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State in the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
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