Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has rejected claims that he directed the cancellation of a town hall meeting involving Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the state.
Mbah, in a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, distanced himself from the decision to withdraw the use of a privately owned event centre for the planned gathering, describing the allegations as baseless.
“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 the opposition of using the incident to draw public attention, arguing that constitutional freedom of expression did not protect 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.
He maintained that individuals who felt wronged could seek legal redress and cautioned against crossing what he described as red lines.
Mbah’s Senior Special Assistant, Dan Nwomeh, also challenged the allegations, questioning why the governor was being linked to the rental arrangements of a privately owned venue.
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“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 added that the governor remained committed to fulfilling his promises and promoting development in Enugu State, noting that the campaign period had yet to begin.
The dispute arose after the Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu reportedly withdrew its facility for a town hall meeting organised under the NDC platform and scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2026.
A video shared on social media showed NDC official, Princess Ada Ogbu, challenging staff at the venue over the cancellation. Allegations accompanying the footage suggested that the state government had exerted pressure on the facility to withdraw its services.
The proposed meeting was expected to feature Obi and Kwankwaso. Information circulated alongside the video indicated that the venue was withdrawn less than 24 hours before the event, despite claims that payment had already been made.