The people of Enugu East Senatorial district on Saturday endorsed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and President Bola Tinubu for their respective second terms in office, pledging massive votes for both of them in the 2027 general election.
They said that Mr Mbah’s campaign vision to make Enugu State one of the leading economies in Nigeria, create jobs for the youths, modernise infrastructure, secure communities, and reposition education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and technology had transcended promises to become a living and evident reality.
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Tagged ‘Ofu Obi Mega Rally’ and widely described as the mother of all rallies in the state in many years, the people, known as the Nkanu clan, equally said the state’s connection with the centre and partnership with the Tinubu Administration had yielded dividends in the form of strategic appointments, projects, and federal interventions.
The Ofu Obi rally, which held at the Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday, equally witnessed the donation of the sum of N300m towards Mbah’s reflection and an Ofo staff (symbol of authority, justice, and endorsement) to the governor by the traditional rulers.
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In their speeches, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Okey Ogbodo, and Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, said the massive turnout was a mark of gratitude for the turnaround of the state by the Mbah Administration and Tinubu’s support.
“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,” Mr Ogbodo declared.
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Nnamani: Forgers, angry people won’t make good governors
In declaring full support for Mbah and Tinubu, former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, declared that people engaged in certificate forgery or sacked from federal appointments should have no business the state’s governorship seat.
“I am one of those who said that Mbah has vision and he is rich in ideas and educational strategy. But if you are rich in certificate forgery, you can’t make a good leader. Nkanu people don’t associate with such shameful acts, people who procure certificates at Oluwole Street. If there are people aspiring to occupy offices, they must check their records properly.
“Anyone who cannot hold a federal office with pride or confidence has nothing to aspire to in seeking a state office.
“Again, anybody who is aspiring to be governor or anything else out of anger because you felt that the incumbent annoyed you will make a terrible governor if you come in. That means you have no vision. You are coming in with anger and if you come in with anger, you will do the wrong thing.
“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,” he stated.
Elder statesman and former governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo, maintained that Mbah would be supported by all for his performance, irrespective of political party, asking anyone else dreaming of becoming governor in 2027 to rest his ambition.
“Everyone will vote for Peter Mbah – APC, Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Africa Democratic Congress, and the rest because you have performed wonderfully well. Also, Enugu West went for two terms and Nsukka Zone went for two terms. So, we must go for our own two terms,” he added.
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, said Mbah and Tinubu had redefined the art of governance through bold and Inclusive policies that have benefitted Ndigbo and Enugu State.
Meanwhile, in his remarks, Governor Mbah lauded the people of the zone and state for their courage in investing their trust in him back in 2023 when he had only a vision to sell, acknowledging that it was hard to place faith in something that had not yet taken shape.
“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; 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.
“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.
Mr Mbah saluted 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.
He equally called for patience, enjoining the people to promote and protect the gains of the last three years in the state to full maturity, urging them to be mindful of political opportunists and the dangers of poverty of imagination, small politics, provincial thinking, and complacency.
“Several months from now, we will face another general election. This is not the moment to drift. A people who are building something precious must remain alert.
“Political cowboys will surface. Some will bring noise; some will bring anger; some will bring division. We will bring results. Our answer must be clarity. Our answer must be unity. Our answer must be the work,” he concluded.
Other speakers at the event include the Deputy National Chairman (South) of APC, Dr Ben Nwoye; lawmaker representing Enugu East, Senator Kelvin Chukwu as well as Hon Nnolim Nnaji, Hon Iloabuchi Aniagu, Mrs Ngozi Enih, Sydney Edeh, and Oguejiofor Ujam, who spoke for their respective constiencies.
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