The Pinnacle Movement, a political support group for Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State during the 2023 general elections, has switched allegiance to the Labour Party presidential election in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, and the African Democratic Party, ADC. According to the group, the switchover emanated from its abandonment by the governor since his election in 2023.
The group’s Secretary, Mr John Ikemefuna, claimed that the decision to switch allegiance was a resolution of the movement’s zonal, local government and ward executives after their meeting in Enugu.
The secretary said the executives, among others, resolved that the movement would not support the re-election of Gov Mbah in 2027, and that the name of the group would change from Pinnacle Movement to the Arise and Shine Movement. THE WHISTLER reports that Arise and Shine is the motto of ADC.
The movement also resolved that henceforth, its principal would become Mr Peter Obi, adding that it would support all candidates of ADC in Enugu State. It also permitted any member of the movement who is not in tandem with the switch to “continue with his or her support for Gov Mbah in any form but not through the official support of Pinnacle Movement,” adding that “such a person deserves a right to quietly exit the platform.”
The secretary recalled that the group mobilised men and material resources across the 260 wards of the state during the last general elections, noting that “up until now there was never any official meeting with Gov Mbah or his agents”.
Quoting Ikemefuna, “It is on record that neither Pinnacle Movement nor her agents collected financial assistance from Mbah or any other candidates of PDP during the campaign in 2023. Everything we did was individual and group efforts, and there was never any official thank-you either by self or any agent of our principal.”
The group added, “We supported Gov Mbah in the PDP, and when he was leaving PDP, there was no official information on why he was leaving, and up till now he has not asked us to join him in his new party. This ill-treatment from Gov Mbah might be because he does not have faith in free and fair elections or possibly that he does not need us to win the next elections. We encourage all our genuine members to demonstrate this disappointment by registering with ADC.”
