Princess Ogbu who was the senatorial candidate of the APC in Enugu East during the 2023 general elections, warned that fighting the governor’s entry would be a grave political miscalculation for anyone who truly wants the party to grow in Enugu State.
“I was very happy elated when the governor decided to join us,” Princess Ada Ogbu stated in an interview. She said Mbah’s entry into the APC was not only historic but fulfilled “every politician’s aspiration for power at the state and national levels,” particularly given the governor’s visible achievements in office.
“We are in power in Enugu State now,” she declared. “I can see the government is working. Supporting him to join the APC is a natural thing for me because he has done well.”
Addressing the internal pushback from some party members and heated social media debates, Princess Ada Ogbu dismissed claims that she had “stepped on toes,” insisting that politics is about interests and shifting alliances, not personal battles.
“Politicians can be colleagues and still hold different opinions,” she said. “I won’t let anyone shape my opinion for me—I am an accomplished woman in my own right, an accomplished politician in my own right.”
She drew a parallel with the party’s own origins. “If Bola Tinubu of ACN did not align with Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, we wouldn’t have the APC of today. Realignments happen in politics. You go where your interest and the interest of your people are best served.”
Princess Ogbu described Mbah as a “big catch” for the APC, particularly in the Southeast where the party has struggled to secure a strong foothold.
“It’s a plus for the APC that they have a governor in Peter Mbah,” she asserted. “Why would I now fight Peter Mbah in a party that I helped to form? He is also my brother from Nkanu East, and a performing one.”
She called on dissenting voices to “change and support Peter Mbah,” emphasizing that opposition to his integration into the party undermines its growth. “It will make no sense not supporting a sitting governor into your party,” she added, making it clear she would not challenge the National Working Committee’s decision to dissolve the state structure.
“We have the National Chairman. We have the party leader, who is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that decision has been made. I will not fight it and will encourage everybody, including those who feel aggrieved by the Governor’s entrance, to change and come back into the fold.”
Describing politics as “ndorondoro ka ana akpo ya”— a game of shifting alliances — Ada Ogbu reiterated that “there are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”
She cited past rivalries that turned to alliances, including with Prince Lawrence Ezeh and Senator Kelvin Chukwu, as well as Chijioke Edeoga’s post-election collaboration with Mbah. “Grudges should not hinder progress,” she stressed.
Princess Ogbu’s defiance is deeply rooted in a legacy of independent political thought shaped by her father, Eze Odenigbo I of Nara Unateze — a revered philanthropist and kingmaker who championed Chimaroke Nnamani in the late 1990s. Unlike her father, however, she charted a progressive opposition path.
“He wanted me to join the PDP. He even got me a PDP membership card once, but I refused,” she recounted. “We didn’t agree on politics as I was more of an opposition. I was more progressive in thinking.”
Educated in Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh and holding a Master’s from the University of Port Harcourt, she credited her global exposure for her independent streak. “He didn’t send me to England and America to study for me to come and not have a mind of my own,” she said.
She recalled how her father once defied then-Governor Nnamani during the Senate leadership tussle, telling him, “You cannot dethrone me. When I was a man of influence, you were still a child running around naked.”
Her strong position on Mbah’s defection is backed by her deep roots in the APC. She joined the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Lagos during the 2011 elections, drawn to Buhari’s “discipline, integrity, and uncompromising attitude towards corruption.”
When CPC merged with Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2014, she became a registered member in Ikoyi-Obalende under the leadership of Wale Edun. Her close ties to Tinubu’s ally Kola Awodein and his wife, Mrs. Amaka Awodein, gave her access to the party’s inner circle.
She worked as an APC agent during the 2015 presidential election and played a key role in resolving party crises in Enugu in 2014. Returning to Nara, she contested senatorial primaries in 2019 and 2023 — winning a Supreme Court affirmation as the rightful 2019 candidate.
To Princess Ogbu, the governor’s defection is not a disruption but an opportunity to build a stronger, more competitive APC in the Southeast. She described it as “a moment of pride for Enugu,” echoing the legacy of political elders like Godwin Odenigwe and Christian Chukwuma Onoh, who fought for the state’s creation.
“For my generation, being from Enugu became a point of pride,” she said. Calling on dissenters to “follow suit,” she positioned herself as a bridge-builder determined to secure the party’s future.
Political observers say her strong defense of Mbah’s entry could either cement a new power bloc in Enugu APC or deepen internal divisions if dissent continues. But for Princess Ada Ogbu, the message is clear: “This is politics. And in politics, you don’t fight your biggest asset.”
