By Ikechukwu Odu

The gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2023 general elections, Barr. Peter Mbah, has said that he emerged as the candidate of the party on the principle of justice, equity and fairness.

Mbah, who spoke when the members of Enugu North Traditional Rulers Council endorsed him on Tuesday, at Adada House, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, said that his leadership would be guided by those principles when he emerge the governor of the state in 2023.

He pledged to partner the traditional rulers in his administration’s development plans, adding that the blueprint for the development programmes was centered around the people.

“What you have demonstrated today by endorsing and praying for me is that you are a just and fair-minded traditional rulers. Posterity would not forget this day. I want to assure you that this decision would translate to a monumental development across all parts of the state.

“We would make Enugu North Senatorial District the preferred destination for tourism in the entire Africa. The reason is that with the kind of topography in this District, there is no way anyone from this continent would go to any other place other than Enugu North for tourism. We hope to attract over 3,000,000 visitors to this District on tourism. For this to happen, we must have the key infrastructure; we must construct roads, provide water and electricity,” he said.

He equally pledged to provide job opportunities through agriculture to tackle the issue of insecurity in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers council, HRH,
Igwe Simeon Itodo, the grand patron of the council, said the traditional staff given to Mbah was a as mark of victory in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

He said the council gave Senator Chimaroke Nnamani the staff and he became governor of Enugu State in 1999 and equally gave Chief Sullivan Chime and he emerged governor of the state in 2007.

“The council also gave the staff to Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and he was elected governor in 2015,” the royal father also said.

He also said “As royal fathers, we screen and screen candidates in our own method before presenting this staff of office to a guber candidate in the state.

“All the guber candidates we gave this staff in Enugu State in the past were victorious, you will also be victorious in 2023 as we have blessed you and given you this staff,” he said.

In an interview with newsmen, Vita Abba, PDP candidate for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze-South Federal Constituency in 2023 said that traditional rulers endorsement for the guber candidate would result in his victory.

“We are happy that traditional rulers in Enugu North District gave Mbah staff as mark of support and victory for his governorship ambition in 2023.

“This means a lot to us as members of PDP in Enugu North Senatorial District as well as in Enugu State,” he said.