The South East Patriots (SEP) congratulates His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, Governor of Enugu State, on his recent decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). While we recognise his constitutional right to freedom of political association, SEP considers it imperative that this political development be accompanied by transparency, accountability, and clarity of purpose.
Our concern is not with the act of defection itself, but with the substance and implications of such a move for Enugu State in particular and Ndigbo in general. The people of the South East have endured decades of political and economic marginalisation and deserve to know what concrete benefits this realignment promises for the region.
SEP therefore demands full disclosure of the issues discussed and the commitments made before Governor Mbah’s defection. Specifically, Ndigbo would like to know what assurances were given regarding:
  • Security and control of the international waters of the ports within the old Eastern Region;
  • Dredging of the River Niger to enable full navigation to Makurdi and Lokoja; and
  • Completion of the Port Harcourt–Enugu–Maiduguri rail line, a vital artery for regional trade and industrial revival.
At the historic Nike Lake negotiations of 2018, Ndigbo collectively endorsed the Atiku/Obi pact based on an agreed irreducible minimum—a framework of tangible developmental commitments for the South. It was a negotiation anchored on mutual respect, security of our region, and economic revival of the East.
SEP has remained aligned with His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because he remains the only presidential candidate who has engaged with Ndigbo on specific developmental issues and reached concrete agreements that reflect the aspirations of our people.
We are not against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but we are deeply concerned about his administration’s posture towards the South East, particularly in light of the recent events at the Tradefair Complex and other areas in Lagos, where the businesses and economic interests of our people appear to be under sustained threat.
Ndigbo deserve to know: What exactly is in the Enugu defection for us?
Our people must not be reduced to mere spectators in political transactions that determine their collective destiny.
SEP reaffirms its unwavering commitment to defending the political, economic, and security interests of the South East within the Nigerian federation and will continue to demand transparency, equity, and genuine inclusion from all political actors.
Signed:
Sir Obunike C. Ohaegbu, KSJI, LLM
National Coordinator, South East Patriots (SEP)