AMID the chanting, singing, and dancing that characterised the rally held at the capacious Okpara Square, Enugu, on October 14, 2025, to welcome Enugu state Governor Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a top-notch politician inside the arena looked hot and flustered. We shall come back to that.
Dr. Mbah, a lawyer/businessman by vocation, and politician by avocation, had earlier in the day said goodbye to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) – the party on whose platform he strenuously contested and won the governorship election in the state in 2023.
Giving reasons for making a volte-face, Gov. Mbah said among others “that the PDP no longer represented a viable vehicle for advancing the aspirations of Enugu and the South-East.”
Recall that the PDP was in power, and in government (apologies to retired military President Ibrahim Babangida), at the centre for 16 solid years – 1999 – 2015.
As one whose superlative performance in governance in the last two years had attracted national and international commendations, it was expected that several APC bigwigs would grace what has become a historic occasion. And they came in droves.
For instance, the Vice President Senator Kasshim Shettima, represented President Bola Tinubu, at the occasion, while the ‘Uncommon’ President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, brought a full bus-load of senators to the occasion.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jajudeen Abbas, his deputy Benjamin Kalu, and several other members of the lower legislative house, were not left out in the excitement and celebration engendered by capturing Enugu without firing a shot.
Indeed, it was a well- attended event. One of Gov. Mbah’s aides put the number of the overflowing audience at 20,000. But that seems to be a rough estimate, given the sea of heads at Okpara Square. One could easily conclude that the entire residents of Enugu state and beyond flowed into Okpara Square that day, and that was despite the scorching sun.
Back to the main news: Distinguished Senator (former) Iyom Uche Ekwunife, was one of the APC leaders who attended the auspicious event.
Ekwunife, APC deputy governorship candidate for the upcoming November Anambra governorship election, arrived Okpara Square early enough, and was enthusiastically welcomed by a large crowd of friends, admirers and well-wishers.
Thereafter, she joined other high-heeled politicians at the VIP stand to await the arrival of the Vice President and his team.
It was a long wait. The VP, his team from Abuja, and the host governor arrived Okpara Square late in the day, albeit to a thunderous welcome.
According to Iyom Ekwunife, she didn’t know when her three expensive smart phones dropped on the ground when she excitedly stood up alongside other dignitaries to welcome the VP and his team.
And it was not until she left the VIP stand to join the VP and other APC chieftains at the dais where political speeches were made, that she discovered that she had lost her communication devices.
This Reporter noticed a flustered Ekwunife rummaging through her bag and muttering something inaudible… “I can’t find my phones …”Oh my God”…”what happened to my phones?”
Naturally, she paid little attention to several APC leaders who ambled their way to exchange banters with her. “My phones are missing,” she kept on saying.
And from the dais, she sent about three persons to go and search for the missing phones, and each came back with a negative report.
It was at that point that she excused herself, and went personally to search for her missing phones, but still no luck.
Why? The bad boys – who came to steal and not to honour the new APC big fish in Enugu, had caused the phones to defect to their respective pockets.
Oh! Why IYOM, Why MAMA ANAMBRA?
- Thank God she has replaced the missing phones, and also proceeded to do welcome back.
