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By M.O Ene

Two months ago, September 8, 2022, we met with PDP gubernatorial candidate Peter Mbah in New York. It was the third leg of an outreach to abroad constituents in America—after California and Texas. We were wowed by his presentation and answers. Any story after that was preaching to the choir. Alas, not everyone was in the choir.

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Lately, campaigns of calumny became so vicious “the falcon cannot hear the falconer.” In many forums, folks regurgitated blatant stale falsehoods about EFCC and FBI. No argument changed hardened hearts. Some Nigerians are funny: They accuse you of a crime without a smidgen of evidence and challenge you to deny it! A senator swore that OBJ was from Anambra State. Question: How? Answer: Let him deny it!

Yesterday, Dr. Peter Mbah made an appearance at the third Zoom meeting of Nigerian American Democracy Institute. Why bother with a fourth appearance, albeit via Zoom? Simple: Many speak from ignorance, not that they know better. After a re-presentation of his megadeal manifesto and some questions, the elephant in the room rumbled. He was expecting it, and he said so. It was an eye-opening and entertaining response that arrested attentions.

Dr. Mbah’s story is like an onion; he opened several layers and took his audience down his beginning in business, his self-sponsored education at home and abroad, law school, and political baptism. By the time he was done, erstwhile caustic critics were giving him 99.99% kudos. The falsehoods were laid to rest.

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The two-hour interview is better watched or transcribed and read. Whosoever is not now convinced of the potentials of Peter Mbah should listen again to the Executive Director of Pinnacle Oil, Robert Dickerman, at the unveiling of Lekki Pinnacle Terminal: “The people of Enugu State are incredibly fortunate, and I am envious of them.”

Enugu State is blessed to have a man of ideas. His manifesto is so striking it does not just tell what he will do, it tells how to achieve it. Where a candidate claimed “exclusive list” on security, Peter vowed to take charge as chief security officer with community policing and drone technology. Where another pleaded “not my remit,” Peter powered a path to a healthier environment.

To those who doubted that Enugu State is oil-bearing and that there is a workable waterway, he supplied the geography and stats. On the recovery of forfeited properties, easy case: Supreme Court precedent exists. On AIIA, he is already working on it. Peter covered it all so well that after-interview discussions focused on how Enuguites outside the homeland could partner and turn consumption of remittances to resources for production.

Peter’s pursuit of political power is driven by the desire to make a difference using his business experiences in innovation and disruptive strategies to position Enugu State on a higher pedestal. Here is a consensus: If Peter Mbah achieves 10% of his proposals in four years, his emergence will be a great bequest of political prudence.

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