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A MeridianSpy investigation has uncovered how Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, allegedly orchestrated a complete shutdown of Opi Nsukka, and sponsored political thugs to disrupt an opposition event hosted to receive the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over the weekend. Findings suggest the move was politically motivated, linked to the governor’s second term ambitions and his rivalry with the minister, who has declared his 2027 governorship bid under the All Progressives Congress APC.
Economic Lockdown: Weaponizing Markets to Enforce Political Control
According to inside sources who substantiated their reports with video evidence, Opi Nsukka experienced an unprecedented halt in economic activities on the day of the incident. Various market unions and business groups including the Timber Market, Building Materials Market, Mechanic Village, and Tippers Union were ordered to close. The directive, enforced by the governor’s associates, came with warnings of sanctions for non compliance and was tied to preparations to receive Governor Mbah later in the day.
The shutdown caused millions of naira in business losses, with residents forced to abandon daily activities to attend the governor’s reception. Notably, mobile network services particularly MTN were unavailable throughout the day. Although MTN later blamed a technical fault, locals linked the outage to the day’s political events.
Orchestrated Thug Attacks: Silencing Opposition Through Violence
While Nsukka remained under the forced lockdown, thugs allegedly sponsored by Governor Mbah stormed Minister Uche Nnaji’s event venue, disrupting proceedings. Sources claim the attack was coordinated with the involvement of the Nsukka Local Government Chairman, Jude Chinedu Asogwa, acting under the governor’s directives.
The assault targeted APC supporters and party members, including defectors from the PDP and Labour Party who intended to join the APC at the event. Witnesses reported scenes of intimidation and harassment that forced many attendees to flee.
Desperate Power Grab Amid Growing Public Rejection
This investigation suggests the incident stems from an ongoing political rivalry. Governor Mbah, a PDP member, had allegedly explored defecting to the APC to strengthen his second term chances but was blocked by key party figures. Since then, tensions with Minister Nnaji have escalated, with the minister emerging as a formidable political challenger ahead of the 2027 polls.
Public sentiment, based on street polls conducted by The MeridianSpy in Enugu, indicates that Governor Mbah’s popularity is declining due to rising insecurity, high taxation, poor infrastructure development, and worsening economic hardship across the state.
