Why I endorsed Mbah, by Sullivan Chime

Former Governor of Enugu State and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sullivan Chime, has endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, saying: “Mbah is the best Enugu can offer now.”

The former governor made his stance known during an interactive session between Mbah and some influential persons, businessmen and leaders, at the weekend, at his Enugu residence.

Chime said: “I have had interactions, not just with Mbah, but also Frank Nweke, Chijioke Edeoga, and, to me, Mbah is the best candidate Enugu can offer now.

“I have no reservations whatsoever in endorsing and supporting him. I believe, knowing Mbah too well, that he will not disappoint Enugu people.”

Chime described Mbah as a huge opportunity for Enugu, saying it takes a heart for service to leave an industry, where his company is number one and records over N1.4 trillion annual turnovers, to run for governor.

“When I was working with Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Mbah wasn’t a politician. He is still not a politician; he has held political offices before, certainly not elective ones.

“The first thing I asked him when he came to me at the beginning of this journey was, ‘are you leaving your empire to be governor?’ And he gave me a very good reason. From our interactions, he was clear on what he wants to do. He has passion to give back to Enugu people. He has passion to take Enugu beyond what it was when we were there.

“Let’s try and restore Enugu. That’s his passion. That’s why he left his business to run for governor of the state.”

On the infamous political codename, ‘Ebeano,’ Chime stated: “Other major contestants: Chijioke Edeoga of Labour Party, Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Uche Nnaji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and others, all played a role under Nnamani’s administration. We were all part of the Ebeano family, because from 1999 to 2007, it was like there was no other political party in Enugu. The governor then chose to have everybody answer Ebeano. So, almost everybody that held public office in the state, including me, was part of Ebeano family.”