Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has rejected claims that he instructed the management of a private event centre to cancel a town hall meeting planned for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
In a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, Mbah distanced himself from the venue’s decision, insisting that he had no role in the cancellation.
“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 utter falsehood, because I did not,” Mbah wrote.
The governor accused opposition figures of using the controversy to gain public attention and stressed that the right to free expression did not permit defamatory statements.
“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 further noted that anyone who believed they had been wronged could seek legal redress, cautioning against actions that crossed established boundaries.
His Senior Special Assistant, Dan Nwomeh, also dismissed the allegations, arguing that the governor should not be blamed for decisions involving the rental of privately owned properties.
“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.
Nwomeh maintained that the governor was concentrating on fulfilling his commitments to residents and promoting Enugu’s development. He also pointed out that the campaign season had yet to commence.
The dispute arose after the Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu reportedly withdrew its premises for an NDC town hall scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2026.
A video shared online showed NDC official Princess Ada Ogbu challenging the venue’s staff over the cancellation. Allegations accompanying the footage suggested that pressure from the state government had influenced the decision.
The event was expected to bring together Obi and Kwankwaso. Reports circulating with the video claimed that the organisers had paid for the facility before its withdrawal less than a day ahead of the scheduled meeting.
