Minister Uche Nnaji Slams Enugu Govt Over Market Demolitions, Welcomes Over 500 Defectors to APC

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has condemned the Enugu State Government’s alleged indiscriminate demolition of markets and shops without prior notice or compensation. He described the move as inhumane, claiming it has led to significant hardship and the reported deaths of several traders over the past year. Nnaji voiced his concerns during a political event on Sunday in Ogurute, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, where he formally received over 500 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) into the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While addressing the crowd, Nnaji criticized the state government’s approach to urban development, saying the destruction of markets like Ogige Nsukka, Holy Ghost, Garki, Abakpa, and Ogurute without alternatives or compensation was a direct attack on the livelihood of the predominantly trading Igbo population. He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla—an indigene of Igbo-Eze North—as Chief of Naval Staff, calling it a step in the right direction.

The Minister, accompanied by APC leaders including State Chairman Barr Ugochukwu Agballah, 2023 deputy governorship candidate Barr George Ogara, and Michael Okpara University Pro-Chancellor Comrade Fidelis Edeh, vowed that the APC would lawfully unseat the PDP-led government in Enugu in the 2027 elections. He also decried what he described as political intimidation and abuse of power by local PDP authorities who allegedly attempted to halt the rally, forcing organizers to shift the event venue.

In his speech, Nnaji assured that the APC in Enugu remains open to new members but warned that no one would be allowed to hijack the party’s structure. He reiterated the party’s loyalty to President Tinubu and expressed optimism about reclaiming the state’s leadership in the next elections. APC State Chairman Agballah echoed these sentiments, stating that smaller parties lack the strength to protect their electoral mandates, citing past experiences of electoral manipulation.

Among the defectors were prominent political figures including Hon Ikechukwu Ogbugo, Hon Barr Osita Ugwuoke, Hon Festus Ayogu, Chief Oliver Idoko, Hon Emmanuel Itodo, Prof. Onyeke A. Onyeke, and Hon Ojobor Ikechukwu. Many of them cited the appointment of Vice Admiral Ogalla and long-standing neglect by their former parties as key reasons for joining the APC.