…Governor’s kinsmen dole out N300 million to support his campaigns
… Nnamani, Nwobodo insist on 2nd term for Mbah
The series of endoresements that Governor Peter Mbah has been receiving across the senatorial districts of Enugu State completed a full cycle on Saturday June 6, 2026 as Enugu East gathered in their numbers and stamped his second term bid.
Mbah had already been endorsed by Enugu West and Enugu North senatorial zones at huge rallies held at Awgu and Nsukka, respectively.
It was the turn of the people of Enugu East or Nkanu land, where the Governor hails from, to show solidarity with their son and to declare him as their sole governorship candidate come 2027.
Mbah’s kinsmen also endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second term, insisting that the duo have posted sterling performances in the past three years to deserve revalidation of their respective mandates.
The rally tagged Ofu Obi mega rally drew a huge crowd from across the six Local Governments that comprise Enugu East zone, namely Enugu North, Enugu South, Enugu East, Nkanu East, Nkanu West, and Isiuzo. They thronged the state capital and filled Okpara Square, venue of the event, to the brim rooting for Mbah and Tinubu.
Speakers at the event expressed the pride of Nkanu land in supporting their son in 2023 to become the governor of Enugu State, saying that he has surpassed expectations.
They stated that Mbah’s vision to make Enugu State one of the leading economies in Nigeria, was already becoming a reality in a spate of three years.
According to them the tangible evidence of Mbah’s performance is located in job creation for youths, transformation of infrastructure, security enhancement, reposition of education, healthcare, and agriculture.
They also point to modernisation of transportation system, and technology-driven governance in all sectors of the Enugu economy.
Not only that, the Nkanu people lauded Mbah for his bold move to the state with the centre, noting that the partnership with the Tinubu administration had yielded dividends in the form of strategic appointments, projects, and federal interventions.
The Governor’s kinsmen backed their support for him with two significant presentations. The traditional rulers presented Ofo(symbol of authority and justice in Igbo cosmology) to Mbah while a sum of N300 million was also given to him in support of his forthcoming electioneering.
Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ofu Obi mega rally, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, said that the massive turnout was a mark of gratitude for the holistic transformation of the state by the Mbah administration with Tinubu’s support.
He said: “Across all the sectors, the evidence of transformational leadership is speaking louder than propaganda. The people can see the difference. The people can testify that Enugu State is moving forward with confidence and speed.
“Indeed, if it were possible to borrow governors, other states would have been lining up to borrow our governor,” Ogbodo enthused.
The Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, equally expressed the same sentiments, saying that Enugu State had never experienced the level of transformation going on under the Mbah administration.
Prominent personalities from Nkanu land, who graced the event lent their voices in support of the second term bids of Mbah and Tinubu. Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, and former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo praised Mbah to high heavens, saying that no Nkanu son or daughter should dare to challenge him come 2027.
Nnamani wondered why people with tainted records and questionable character should even think of challenging Mbah, knowing that they have no business in aspiring to the state’s governorship seat.
He described Mbah as a man of vision and rich in ideas and educational strategy as contrasted with those who “are rich in certificate forgery” adding that “If there are people aspiring to occupy offices, they must check their records properly”.
“So, as far as I can see, we have only one candidate who is running for governor, and that is Governor Peter Mbah. We won’t use the governorship seat to try our luck. Period,” Nnamani stated.
Nwobodo, in his remarks said that Mbah was enjoying wide popularity across party divides because of his sterling performance, adding that anyone else dreaming of becoming Enugu governor in 2027 should perish the thought
According to him, “everyone will vote for Peter Mbah (whether they belong to) APC, Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Africa Democratic Congress, and the rest because (he has) performed wonderfully well”.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, who was accompanied by the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and other federal dignitaries, equally extolled Mbah and Tinubu for their leadership qualities.
He said that both leaders have redefined the art of governance through bold and Inclusive policies that have benefitted Ndigbo and Enugu State.
Governor Mbah, absorbed all the accolades and massive show of support lauded the people of Nkanu land and the entire state for their courage in investing their trust in him back in 2023 when he had only a vision to sell.
He acknowledged that it was hard to place faith in something that had not yet taken shape, yet the people of Enugu State did not look when they voted for him to preside over their affairs.
“But because you were willing to take that leap of faith, something remarkable happened: Smart Green Schools in every ward; healthcare moving closer to families; roads connecting communities; water returning where people waited too long”.
Mbah reeled out his other achievements to include “modern transport terminals served by air-conditioned buses with Wi-Fi; Enugu Air opening new pathways to the world; investors arriving; conferences coming; businesses taking a fresh look at Enugu; and the list goes on”.
He informed Ndi Enugu that “a few days from now, we will break ground on a 660MW coal-fired power plant that moves us closer to a future where our people no longer plan their lives around darkness”.
“In a literal sense, the lights will go on in Enugu permanently,” he said.
Mbah lauded President Tinubu’s courageous reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said were repositioning the national economy and strengthening states’ capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy.
“By taking difficult decisions and freeing up resources that had long been trapped in an unsustainable subsidy system, he has given the states greater agency, both in the responsibility and the resources to act,” he said.
