Mbah’s Second Tenure A Done Deal, Nkanu East Stakeholders

The people of Nkanu East Local Government Area, LGA, of Enugu State, say Governor Peter Mbah’s reelection is a done deal, citing the governor’s superlative performance in just two years.

They gave the assurances at Amagunze, headquarters of Nkanu East council, during the grand finale of a statewide sensitisation programme on the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise organised by the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State, Dr. Martin Chukwunwike, said the sensitisation was imperative to ensure that no eligible vote was lost in order to sustain the good work the governor was doing in the state.

Chukwunwike, who was represented by Deputy Chairman of the party in the state, Barr. Steve Oruruo, said, “We have seen the quality of governance in Enugu State that needs to be shielded by the masses. This particular governor has bridged the gap between government and the governed. The masses now have faith in what their governor is doing. We have seen lots of developmental strides to the extent that beyond party affiliation, the All Progressives Congress-led presidency has recognised the fact that Enugu is delivering. As of today, the presidency has given the governor of Enugu two awards. Enugu was again recently awarded ₦100 million as the cleanest state in the federation.

“Now the only way the masses can respond is to come out in their numbers to show absolute support for the government, and that can only come by the masses ensuring that they register to vote. When you are talking about voting strength and you have not gotten your PVC, you are literally wasting your time,” he stated.

A former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Sunday Onyebuchi, in commending the sensitisation, described Mbah’s re-election as “a done deal” and urged all the stakeholders to go to their villages to ensure that all the eligible voters who did not register in the last exercise were duly registered.

“You can assume comfortably that Governor Mbah will get more than 90 per cent of the votes in Nkanu East. But coming to tell our people to participate in the INEC continuous voter registration exercise is to ensure that Nkanu East returns the highest number of votes come 2027. I have also traveled round. There is no ward, no community, where construction work is not going on currently, and for that we can assume that our people will participate,” he added.

Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, who doubles as the Chairman of Nkanu East LGA and the Enugu State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, assured that the 17 council chairmen were determined to ramp up voter registration in the state.

“As I have discussed with my colleagues at the level of ALGON, we are making buses available in all the wards. We are doing it zone by zone. This is the rainy season and most farmers do go to the farms. But when we bring them to the council headquarters, we give them food and cater for their welfare so that they do not lose anything for that day. And in mobilising the people, we do not discriminate on the basis of party,” he explained.

Collaborating, Chairman of Nkanu West LGA, Hon. John Ogbodo, reiterated that the gratitude owed to Mbah for his great leadership and achievements was to mobilise eligible Enugu citizens to register en masse to vote for him come 2027.

Ogbodo, who spoke to newsmen after the sensitisation exercise at Agbani on the same day, said, “Our people are already aware that their votes must count and they want to participate. But we don’t want to lose any of our votes. We want to make sure that all our people come out en masse to register. So, we have taken this to a high level by mobilising our people from rural areas through buses to come and register.”

On his part, Member representing Enugu East State Constituency, Hon. Okey Mbah, explained, “In the next few days and weeks you will see Enugu numbers rising to one of the states in this registration.

“Mostly the rural people look up to us before they take certain steps. So, we have come to charge them up, letting them know that they have this civic responsibility to do it,” he said.

Political Adviser to the Governor, Chief Frank Anioma; State Treasurer of the PDP, Chief Patrick Okoh; Enugu East Zonal Chairman of the party, Chief Nnamdi Nwafor; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mazi Uche Anichukwu; former Member, House of Representatives, Hon. Peace Nnaji; former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Gabriel Ajah and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative Matters, Hon. Paul Nnajiofor, said that the people of Nkanu East LGA were now eager to register to ensure a resounding victory for Governor Mbah come 2027.

“I am from Nomeh Ward. The governor is constructing a Smart School, a Type-2 Primary Health Care Centre, the Nomeh-Oduma road, Nomeh-Mburumbu-Nara road, and a number of long-span bridges. He appointed our people into important positions. He is empowering the farmers through farm inputs, and of one of the 260 farm estates will soon commence in Nomeh. So, Mbah’s second tenure is a done deal, by God’s grace and the support of Ndi Enugu,” Anichukwu said.

Other dignitaries at the well-attended event include a former Deputy Governor, Bishop Ralph Nwoye; Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie; Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih; Special Adviser to the Governor on Mining, Onyinye Samuel; Member 2, Enugu State Universal Education Board; South East Zonal Ex-Officio, Engr. Onu Nwodo; State Woman Leader, PDP, Hon. Peace Patrick and Member 2, Enugu State Civil Service Commission, Chief Chris Mbah, among a host of others.

The event also witnessed the distribution of empowerment items to each Woman Leader of the PDP in the 14 Wards of the LGA by Member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Hon. Nnoli Nnaji.