Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu State, has refuted claims that he gave the order to withdraw a privately owned venue booked for a town hall meeting meant to feature the Nigeria Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Enugu.
In a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, the governor called the allegation untrue, stating that he played no part in the decision to bar the organizers from using the facility.
“My attention has just been drawn to a video circulating on some social media platforms, alleging that I gave an order denying a political party use of a private facility for their townhall event. This is preposterous and an utter falsehood, because I did not,” Mbah wrote.
He accused the opposition of trying to gain public attention through the allegation, cautioning that freedom of expression does not cover defamation.
“This is shameful and reveals a desperate pattern adopted by the opposition to attract attention. There’s no doubt that democracy guarantees freedom of expression. It should be noted, however, that it does not grant anyone the right to defamation,” he said.
Mbah went on to say that legal channels existed for those pursuing redress, and he cautioned against crossing what he called red lines.
Dan Nwomeh, the governor’s senior special assistant, likewise came to his defense, asking why Mbah should bear responsibility for the renting of a privately owned facility.
“What has Governor Mbah got to do with the rental of a privately owned facility? It appears some people on this app get a kick out of blaming Governor Mbah for just about everything,” Nwomeh wrote on X.
He stated that the governor stayed committed to fulfilling his promises and driving the state’s development, and he added that the campaign period had not yet started.
The uproar came after the Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu was pulled as the venue for a town hall meeting organized under the Nigeria Democratic Congress banner and set for Thursday, October 29, 2026.
A video making the rounds on social media showed Princess Ada Ogbu, an NDC official, challenging venue staff over the decision, amid claims that the state government had pressured the facility to call off the event.
Obi and Kwankwaso were expected to be at the meeting. Based on the information being shared along with the video, the venue was withdrawn less than 24 hours before the event, even though payment had already been made.
