Ex-VP Aide Umar Sani Alleges Peter Mbah’s 2023 Enugu Election Victory Was Rigged

Former spokesperson to ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, Umar Sani, has alleged that Governor Peter Mbah did not genuinely win the 2023 Enugu State governorship election, claiming the outcome was manipulated in his favour.

Sani made the statement while reacting to Mbah’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a political move that has stirred discussions across Enugu’s political landscape.

According to Sani, Mbah’s defection does not threaten the PDP’s dominance in Enugu State, which has long been a stronghold of the party. He described the party’s internal crisis as “externally orchestrated,” insisting that the real aim of the defectors is to weaken the opposition ahead of future elections.

“What is happening within the PDP is being orchestrated by fifth columnists,” he said. “Mbah’s defection will not shake the PDP because he is swimming against the tide. In fact, he did not even win the election.”

Official results from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peter Mbah the winner of the 2023 Enugu governorship election with 160,895 votes, while his main opponent, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, secured 157,552 votes a slim margin of just over 3,000 votes.

However, Edeoga’s supporters rejected the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities and over-voting, particularly in Nkanu East Local Government Area. They also claimed that crucial evidence of electoral fraud was overlooked by the tribunal, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the declared results.

Sani’s comments have reignited conversations about electoral credibility and the state of opposition politics in Nigeria, as many observers continue to question whether the 2023 Enugu governorship election reflected the true will of the people.