Lies Against Enugu PDP Guber Candidate Peter Mbah Sponsored By Detractors – Dr. Onyishi

The All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party in Enugu State are behind various allegations against the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Barr Peter Mbah.

This was the verdict of Dr. Reuben Onyishi, director, online media, PDP Campaign Organisation, Enugu State, on Friday, during a programme monitored by our correspondent in Enugu.

THE WHISTLER reports that Mbah has come under a barrage of castigations since his emergence as the guber standard-bearer of the party in the state. Peter Mbah served as chief of staff and finance commissioner, respectively, under former governor Chimaroke Nnamani.

One of the allegations against Mbah is that he was involved in a fraud which ended in a plea bargain alongside his then boss, Dr Nnamani. He was also alleged to be on the wanted list of the FBI. The latest allegation is that he forged the National Youth Service Corps certificate which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the March elections.

Dr Reuben Onyishi, who appeared on Enugu’s 92.5 Dream FM’s ‘Political Voices’, described the allegations against Mbah as ‘laughable’.

Onyishi said, “It is laughable. We have seen this kind of thing play out. At a time, they said Peter Mbah was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI. But he travelled to the US, and stayed for three weeks, discussing with Nigerians. They also concocted the ‘Ego Ndi Enugu’ saga.

“The state APC led by Barr Ugo Agballa and the Labour Party are behind it. It is inquisition for no just cause. That is not how to play politics. Peter trained himself to lead. He knows the economy in and out. These guys have seen that Peter is exceptional. The only thing they do is to cook lies.

“Is an NYSC certificate the prerequisite to run for the governorship position? Those that have taken these matters to courts are just wasting the time of courts. The candidate we have is credible. He has a master’s degree in international law, and has certificates from Harvard. Peter has never called anybody names. But these guys castigate Peter. They are baseless allegations.

“People aspiring to be governor should be mature and focused. Peter has taken it in the spirit of equanimity. All those shenanigans are wasting their time. It is cheap lies.”

Recall that a staunch member of the Labour Party in the state, Ikem Okuhu, had called on Mbah to clarify the response from the NYSC which stated that the NYSC certificate he submitted to INEC was not issued by the corps. This followed a press conference by a group, Total Support for Rule of Law and Justice Initiative. The group claimed it used the Freedom of Information Bill to obtain the particulars of the NYSC certificate submitted by Mbah. NYSC, according to the group, replied that it did not issue the certificate to Mbah.

Also reacting, the state public secretary of Labour Party, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike, said, “I didn’t listen to Onyishi’s Dream FM interview. Is Onyishi alleging that Labour Party induced him to forge NYSC certificate or that it is not true that Barr Mbah forged the document, and Labour Party is making a frivolous allegation against him or what?

“Well, there are basically four critical issues hunting the PDP flagbearer, namely the $418 million US dollars indictment in the United States being ‘Enugwu’ State money stolen by Chimaroke Nnamani and Peter Mbah between 1999 and 2007. Is United States Labour Party or APC?

“Two, the second matter relates to the violation of the Nigerian Electoral Act by the PDP to which Mr Idoko is in court. Idoko is not a member of the Labour Party but the senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in ‘Enugwu’ North Senatorial District.

“The third case regarding Barr Mbah is that of plea bargaining involving him and his master, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani. The plea bargaining we learnt was entered into in 2015 and would not permit the duo to run for any elective position in Nigeria till after 10 years.

“Between now and 2015 is a period of seven years. This means that in law, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani is not a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2019 and now and will have to refund all he has received as emoluments as the senator within the period in question.

“Is Onyishi saying that Labour Party lured his principal to run for election having known all these embarasing crimes he had allegedly committed or that Nigerians should keep quiet and allow the frauds to continue?

“And lastly, the NYSC certificate forgery saga. In all of this, where lies the role of my party — Labour Party — in these frontline allegations. Or is Onyishi saying that people who committed such crimes should be allowed to be trusted with position of authorities to thank them for their fraudulent roles in the society?

“I think it is only in banana republics like Nigeria that the people in the ilk of Reuben Onyishi will be offered an opportunity to come to the media to discuss issues that tend to support corruption, abuse of the law and due process and crimes and to embarrass and mislead the public.”

The state APC is yet to react to Onyishi’s allegation as at the time of filing this report.