Mbah Denies Alleged Order to Block Opposition Town Hall Meeting

…Warns Opposition Against Defamation

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has dismissed as false a viral social media allegation that he ordered a political party to be denied access to a private facility for its town hall meeting, warning opposition figures against making defamatory statements.

Mbah, in a statement issued in response to the circulating video, described the allegation as “preposterous and utter falsehood,” insisting that he neither issued such a directive nor had any involvement in preventing the party from using the facility.

The controversy followed the circulation of a video on social media alleging that the governor directed the management of Amadeo Event Centre, a private facility, to deny a political party the use of its premises for a town hall meeting.

Reacting to the allegation, the governor said his attention had been drawn to the video, which he described as an attempt by the opposition to mislead the public and attract attention.

“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 town hall event. This is preposterous and utter falsehood, because I did not,” he said.

Mbah further accused the opposition of relying on what he described as propaganda and falsehood rather than presenting substantive issues to the electorate.

“This is shameful and reveals a desperate pattern adopted by the opposition to attract attention,” the governor stated.

He emphasised that although freedom of expression was a fundamental feature of democracy, it should not be used as justification for making defamatory allegations against individuals.

“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.

The governor also maintained that democratic institutions provide avenues for individuals and groups to seek redress when they believe they have been wronged, rather than resorting to statements capable of damaging the reputation of others.

“Democracy also offers avenues to seek redress. So, let it be known that there are redlines that should never be crossed,” he added.

The statement’s accompanying commentary questioned why Mbah would interfere in the operations of a private establishment, stressing that Amadeo Event Centre was not a government-owned facility.

It also accused opposition figures of making allegations against the governor to gain public attention, insisting that the claims were politically motivated.

The development comes amid political activities in Enugu State, where opposition parties and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continue to engage in political campaigns and public debates ahead of future electoral contests.