Politics
Who will decide Nigeria in 2027?
By Prof. Chiwuike Uba, Ph.D.
Nigeria is fast approaching the 2027 general elections, yet the real contest is not on campaign posters or ballot boxes. It has already begun—in boardrooms, in party offices, in the flow of money, in the manipulation of structures, and in the quiet shaping of who gets to govern. For too long, Nigerians have been presented with outcomes already negotiated behind closed doors. Waiting for INEC’s timetable is already too late to influence the forces that truly determine the country’s future.
Elections in Nigeria have never truly begun on the day campaigns are officially announced. They start long before, in elite negotiations, in the capture of party structures, in the shaping of narratives, in the exclusion of credible aspirants, and in the slow sidelining of citizens from decisions that are supposed to belong to them. If Nigerians wait until campaign posters appear, they will already be late to their own future.
The months ahead are not merely a prelude to voting. They are the battleground on which who can run, what can be discussed, what is possible, and who ultimately governs will be decided. This is the moment to set the stage, define the agenda, and establish the talking points capable of mobilising the critical forces that can shift Nigeria from managed elections to people-driven choices.
Understanding the political economy of elections in Nigeria is essential to this task. Elections do not operate primarily as contests of ideas. They function, largely, as political investments. For many actors, elections are not about service but about access: access to state power, public resources, institutional protection, and economic advantage. This is why politics has become one of the most capital-intensive ventures in the country. Nomination forms cost fortunes. Delegates are monetised. Party structures are purchased. Courtrooms replace party members. Godfathers replace citizens.
In this political economy, power precedes the people, not the other way around. Those who control resources often determine who controls parties. Those who control parties often determine who appears on the ballot. And those who appear on the ballot frequently determine what choices Nigerians are permitted to make. This reality explains why elections repeatedly reproduce leadership that does not reflect the competence, character, or aspirations of the majority. Until this political economy is confronted, technical reforms alone will remain insufficient.
Public attention often fixates on election day, on voter cards, turnout figures, polling units, and result sheets. Yet the most decisive rigging in Nigeria often happens long before the first vote is cast. It happens in the hijack of party structures at ward, local government, and state levels. It happens in the imposition of ad hoc executives loyal to money rather than members. It happens in the weaponisation of court orders to determine party leadership. It happens in the systematic exclusion of credible aspirants through inflated costs and manipulated processes. It happens in the conversion of delegates into commodities.
By the time candidates emerge, the people are often presented not with options, but with outcomes already negotiated. If Nigerians want to truly decide who governs them, then citizen engagement must shift upstream, into party processes, civic pressure, community organising, professional associations, student movements, faith-based networks, labour platforms, and issue-driven coalitions. The struggle for 2027 will not be won primarily at polling units. It will be won in who controls the processes that produce the names on the ballot.
Candidate emergence remains the point at which democracy most often dies. In functional democracies, parties recruit leaders. In Nigeria, leaders often capture parties. Primaries have increasingly become ceremonial endorsements of decisions taken elsewhere. Consensus is frequently a euphemism for coercion. Aspirants who lack access to large war chests are screened out, not by ideas, but by price tags.
The consequences are severe. Competence becomes secondary to capacity to pay. Integrity becomes less valuable than loyalty to patrons. Vision loses to violence, inducement, and litigation. Citizens must therefore insist that 2027 is not merely about who wins elections, but about how candidates emerge. Transparent primaries, open membership systems, verifiable delegate lists, and community scrutiny of aspirants must become national demands, not internal party favours. If Nigerians do not democratise the gate, they cannot democratise the state.
Beyond party capture, Nigerians are painfully familiar with the manipulation that characterises voting itself: voter suppression, logistical sabotage, intimidation, inducement, technological interference, result rewriting, and the judicialisation of outcomes. These practices do more than distort numbers. They hollow out citizenship. When announced results consistently fail to reflect lived realities at polling units, people stop seeing elections as instruments of choice and begin to see them as rituals of legitimisation. Participation declines. Cynicism grows. Extremism finds space. The social contract erodes.
The danger before Nigeria is not merely flawed elections. It is the steady normalisation of disbelief. Rebuilding confidence requires more than promises. It demands organised citizens who monitor processes, protect polling units, document outcomes, challenge illegalities, and refuse to retreat once votes are cast. Democracy is not an event. It is a sustained confrontation with power.
Increasingly, however, even voting and collation are no longer seen as the final arbiters of electoral outcomes. Across election cycles, Nigerian courts have gradually replaced voters and, in many instances, the electoral commission itself as the institutions that ultimately decide who governs. Candidates who never meaningfully campaigned, who were rejected at primaries, or who lost at the polls have emerged victorious through judgments. Entire mandates have been conferred or withdrawn not at polling units, but in courtrooms.
This growing judicialisation of politics represents one of the most profound distortions of Nigeria’s democracy. Courts are no longer merely resolving disputes arising from elections. They are increasingly determining the substance of electoral outcomes. Technicalities eclipse popular will. Procedural errors overshadow millions of votes. Party paperwork sometimes outweighs public mandate. In this environment, elections become provisional exercises, pending judicial confirmation, and citizens are subtly taught that their votes are only the opening arguments in a much longer legal contest.
The dangers of this trend are far-reaching. It weakens the authority of INEC and erodes public confidence in the electoral process. It relocates political struggle from communities to court registries. It privileges those with the resources to sustain prolonged litigation over those with genuine grassroots support. It transforms judges, rather than citizens, into the final constituency that candidates must court. Even more troubling is what this does to the judiciary itself. A system repeatedly dragged into the centre of partisan warfare becomes vulnerable to pressure, inducement, blackmail, and political bargaining. Whether fair or not, public perception hardens. Many Nigerians already view the judiciary as the most corruption-infested arm of government, a belief fuelled by contradictory rulings, last-minute injunctions, forum shopping, and judgments that appear to defy both logic and popular reality. As courts increasingly decide political destinies, they also increasingly inherit the anger, suspicion, and delegitimisation that follow contested power.
When every major political contest ends in litigation, the judiciary is forced into roles it was never designed to play. It becomes an alternative electoral commission. It becomes an extension of party warfare. It becomes a bargaining arena for elite settlements. In the process, its moral authority is compromised, its institutional integrity is strained, and its image as an impartial arbiter is steadily eroded. A judiciary that should stand above politics is gradually being submerged within it, and a society that loses faith in its courts risks losing one of the last anchors of constitutional order. The tragedy is not only that votes are displaced, but that justice itself becomes politicised. As confidence in judicial neutrality weakens, citizens are less inclined to seek redress through lawful means. Rumours replace rulings. Ethnic and partisan interpretations replace legal reasoning. Violence and self-help gain appeal. What should resolve conflict instead multiplies it.
Another critical layer that must not be ignored is the growing security economy around elections. Across Nigeria, political competition is increasingly intertwined with armed groups, cult networks, criminal gangs, and militarised state responses. Elections are no longer only contests of influence but theatres of fear. Communities are threatened into silence. Turnout is suppressed through insecurity. Opponents are discouraged not only by money, but by risk. When violence becomes a campaign strategy, citizenship becomes a hazard. Democracy cannot thrive where participation endangers life, and no election can be truly free when fear shapes who can speak, organise, or vote.
Equally decisive in modern elections is control of narrative. Media capture, algorithmic manipulation, propaganda networks, and paid disinformation now shape political reality as much as party structures. Lies travel faster than manifestos. Ethnic and religious frames are amplified to distract from material failures. Opponents are delegitimised not only through courts, but through coordinated digital assaults. In this environment, citizens are not only voters; they are targets. The battle for 2027 will also be a battle for truth, and without civic media literacy and independent journalism, even technically sound elections can be socially corrupted.
Nigeria approaches 2027 as one of the youngest nations on earth, yet one of the oldest political systems in practice. A country whose median age sits below twenty continues to be governed largely by structures, figures, and cultures detached from youth realities. This demographic contradiction is not merely unfair; it is destabilising. When a political system systematically excludes its largest population block from meaningful participation, it accumulates anger, alienation, and exit. Youth disengagement is not apathy; it is often a verdict. Reclaiming the political process is therefore not optional for Nigeria’s young people. It is existential.
The cost of compromised elections is not abstract. It is measured in collapsing infrastructure, failing schools, unaffordable healthcare, deepening poverty, runaway inflation, and the normalisation of insecurity. When leaders do not emerge from popular accountability, they rarely govern through it. When power is acquired through manipulation, it is exercised through extraction. Nigeria’s governance crisis is not separate from its electoral crisis; it is its consequence. Every rigged process eventually becomes a rigged economy, a rigged justice system, and a rigged social order.
Nigeria’s democratic failures are compounded by what happens after elections. Civic energy often collapses once results are announced or cases concluded. Office holders return to isolation. Campaign promises dissolve into silence. Constituency relationships disappear. Without structured post-election accountability, even well-conducted polls can yield unresponsive governments. Democracy does not end at inauguration. It begins there. Budgets, appointments, policy choices, and institutional reforms must become sites of organised citizen engagement, otherwise electoral victories, even when genuine, quickly lose meaning.
Ultimately, the struggle for 2027 is not only political; it is moral and generational. It is about whether Nigerians will continue to hand over the future to closed circles or reclaim it for open society. It is about whether children inherit institutions that protect them or systems that prey on them. History will not only record who won elections. It will record who stood when democracy was being hollowed out, and who chose comfort over country.
The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State offers Nigerians a real-time lesson in how the struggle for 2027 is already unfolding. The face-off involving the former governor, the sitting governor, and a State House of Assembly widely perceived as still being controlled by the former power structure is not merely a local quarrel. It is an early expression of the deeper contest over who controls political machinery, institutional loyalty, and ultimately, the future electoral outcomes.
At its core, the Rivers crisis is not about personalities. It is about capture. Capture of the legislature. Capture of party structures. Capture of state institutions. Capture of political destiny. When a sitting governor governs under the shadow of a predecessor’s continuing grip on the assembly and party apparatus, it exposes a fundamental weakness in Nigeria’s democracy: elections may change office holders, but they often fail to dismantle entrenched power networks. The will of the electorate becomes secondary to internal elite settlements.
This kind of political warfare, fought through impeachments, parallel assemblies, court orders, and federal alignments, is not an exception. It is a preview of what awaits the country if citizens remain disengaged from the foundational layers of politics. Rivers State today mirrors, in concentrated form, the national struggle between democratic choice and elite continuity.
Equally instructive is the growing wave of defections by governors, legislators, and political heavyweights into the ruling party. While party switching is legal, its pattern in Nigeria often reveals less about ideology and more about survival, access, and protection. These defections weaken opposition parties and reduce electoral competition. They encourage a politics of convenience rather than conviction. They concentrate power in ways that make institutional capture easier. They signal to citizens that elections are less about public mandate and more about proximity to federal authority.
When political actors migrate en masse toward the centre of power, democracy begins to resemble a one-way traffic system. The danger is not merely the dominance of one party, but the erosion of meaningful alternatives. Without strong, credible, and organised opposition platforms, elections risk becoming formalities rather than choices. For 2027, this trend raises urgent questions. Will Nigerians be offered genuine options, or will the political marketplace be so tilted that outcomes are largely predetermined before campaigns even begin?
Nigeria’s past elections, from the early years of the Fourth Republic to the most recent cycles, reveal consistent patterns: logistical failures, monetisation of votes, violence and intimidation, abuse of incumbency, selective enforcement of rules, inconsistent application of technology, prolonged litigation, and frequent divergence between polling-unit realities and final announcements. Each election cycle has produced not only winners, but wounds. Mandates have often been settled in courtrooms rather than communities. Public confidence has risen briefly, only to decline again. Hope has repeatedly given way to fatigue. Outcomes have too often reinforced existing power blocs rather than disrupt them.
From heavily disputed results to elections where turnout collapsed in many urban centres, the story has been the same: Nigerians vote, but structures decide. This historical experience must shape how citizens approach 2027. Not with naïve optimism. Not with fatalistic withdrawal. But with organised, informed, and strategic engagement aimed at breaking these entrenched cycles.
The most important work of the 2027 elections is not for politicians. It is for citizens. Now is the time to define the national agenda so that jobs, security, education, healthcare, inflation, governance reform, institutional accountability, youth inclusion, restructuring of public finance, and the political economy of development dominate public discourse. Personalities must not replace problems.
It is time to occupy the civic space so that town halls, community dialogues, professional forums, religious platforms, campuses, labour spaces, and digital communities become arenas of political education rather than entertainment. It is time for citizens, especially young people and professionals, to engage political parties early, to join them, contest internal positions, monitor congresses, and disrupt the idea that parties are private estates.
It is time to build issue-based coalitions that cut across ethnicity, religion, and region, organised around concrete demands capable of shifting the balance of power away from isolated outrage toward coordinated influence. It is time to establish red lines: no more opaque primaries, no more monetised delegates, no more violent congresses, no more judicial substitution of candidates, and no more stolen mandates without sustained resistance.
Elections do not fail in Nigeria because Nigerians do not vote. They fail because Nigerians are structurally excluded from the processes that make voting meaningful. The year 2027 offers a choice beyond candidates. It offers a choice between continuing as spectators in elite transactions or emerging as organised stakeholders in national direction.
The question before the country is no longer simply, “Who will win?” It is, *“Who will decide?”*
If Nigerians set the stage, define the agenda, mobilise critical forces, and remain engaged from party formation to post-election accountability, then 2027 can mark the beginning of a new political culture: one where leaders emerge from society, not above it; where results reflect citizens, not arrangements; and where power answers, not commands.
Democracy does not arrive on election day. It is built, patiently and courageously, before it. God is with us!
About the Author
Prof. Chiwuike Uba, Ph.D. is an economist and governance expert with over 25 years of experience in public financial management, policy advisory, and development consulting. He has authored multiple publications on fiscal policy, governance, and the political economy of development. He can be reached at chiwuike@gmail.com.
Editorial
MANIFESTO: Mbah Presents Governance Scorecard, Highlights Enugu’s Progress, Sets $30bn Economic Growth Target
…Lists achievements in security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, aviation, agriculture; urges Ndi Enugu to sustain transformation
By Tony Edike
Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming the state into one of Nigeria’s leading economies, citing progress in security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, aviation and industrial development.
Mbah said his administration had set a target of growing Enugu’s economy from approximately $4.4 billion to at least $30 billion within eight years, alongside a long-term ambition to eliminate poverty.
The governor stated this while presenting his administration’s manifesto performance scorecard at Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, where he reviewed the state’s development journey since his assumption of office in May 2023 and outlined priorities for the years ahead.
In his address titled Our Commitment to Ndi Enugu: The Journey So Far, Mbah said his administration had taken deliberate steps to address the challenges inherited in 2023 while laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
He identified security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, productive industries and effective public institutions as the pillars of the administration’s development agenda.
According to him, the government remains committed to measurable performance, accountability, transparency and public participation in governance.
1. Mbah Recalls Enugu’s Challenges in 2023, Says State Has Made Significant Progress
Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his assumption of office in May 2023, Mbah recalled a period when economic activities were disrupted by sit-at-home restrictions, infrastructure was in poor condition, public services had deteriorated, and businesses were gradually losing confidence in the state.
He said the situation affected traders, small-business owners, students and other residents who depended on daily economic activities for their livelihoods.
The governor noted that Enugu, which had historically served as a major commercial, political and cultural centre in the South-East, was gradually losing its position as businesses and major events moved to other cities.
“Our greatest resource was already here: the people of Enugu. What was missing was a clear direction, the determination to pursue it, and a government prepared to take responsibility for the results,” he said.
Mbah explained that his administration had prioritised addressing the underlying challenges while creating conditions that would enable residents and businesses to maximise their potential.
He added that the government had adopted a development strategy designed to address interconnected problems rather than treating them in isolation.
2. Enugu Sets $30bn Economic Growth Target, Eyes Nigeria’s Top Three Economies
Mbah said his administration’s original Statement of Purpose established an ambitious target of growing Enugu’s economy from approximately $4.4 billion to at least $30 billion within eight years.
He said the objective was to position the state among Nigeria’s three leading economies while pursuing the long-term goal of eliminating poverty.
The governor acknowledged that achieving the target would require substantial investment in infrastructure, education, security, energy, agriculture, technology and industrial development.
He explained that economic growth could not be achieved sustainably without reliable electricity, accessible roads, secure business environments and a workforce equipped with relevant skills.
According to him, the administration’s development strategy is designed to create an environment in which businesses can expand, investors can operate with confidence, and young people can access meaningful employment opportunities.
Mbah stressed that the government would continue to assess its performance against measurable objectives rather than relying solely on public announcements.
He said projects and policies must produce tangible benefits that residents could see and experience.
3. Mbah: Restoring Security Was Essential to Reviving Enugu’s Economy
The governor identified security as one of the fundamental conditions necessary for restoring economic activity and attracting investment to Enugu State.
He said businesses could not thrive where residents were afraid to travel, traders could not open their shops, and parents were apprehensive about sending their children to school.
Mbah explained that the administration therefore prioritised restoring normalcy and creating a safer environment for residents, businesses and investors.
According to him, security improvements were necessary to support the broader development agenda, including road construction, education, agriculture, tourism and industrial expansion.
He noted that a functioning economy depends on the ability of people to move freely, transport goods, provide services and conduct business without unnecessary disruption.
The governor said restoring confidence in the state was essential to encouraging investment and repositioning Enugu as a destination for commerce and enterprise.
He added that security would remain a critical component of the administration’s efforts to sustain economic growth and improve residents’ quality of life.
4. Sit-at-Home: Mbah Highlights Restoration of Monday Economic Activities
Mbah cited the restoration of economic activities on Mondays as one of the significant changes since his administration assumed office.
He recalled that sit-at-home restrictions had affected traders, workers, students, transport operators and small-business owners, many of whom lost income whenever economic activities were suspended.
The governor illustrated the impact with the example of a market woman whose goods could deteriorate while customers remained at home, leaving her unable to earn money to support her family.
He also highlighted the difficulties faced by young entrepreneurs who had borrowed money to establish businesses but lost an entire working day each week.
According to him, the restrictions also disrupted education, including the academic progress of students whose compulsory external examinations coincided with Mondays.
Mbah said the restoration of normal economic activities had enabled traders to plan their working weeks, businesses to receive customers and children to attend school.
“It may seem strange that we should celebrate something as ordinary as being able to go to work on Monday. But anyone who lived through those years understands its importance,” he said.
He described the restoration of normalcy as an important foundation for the state’s economic recovery.
5. Roads, Transport: Mbah Highlights Infrastructure Development Across Enugu
The governor said his administration had undertaken substantial road development and initiated improvements to the state’s transport system to facilitate movement and connect communities to economic opportunities.
He explained that the importance of road infrastructure should be measured not only by the kilometres constructed or the value of contracts awarded, but also by its impact on people’s daily lives.
According to him, good roads reduce travel difficulties, improve access to markets, facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and help businesses operate more efficiently.
Mbah also highlighted the introduction of new buses and terminals as part of efforts to develop a more organised transport system.
He said the administration’s ambition was to make transportation safer, more comfortable and more dependable while improving connectivity across the state.
The governor added that infrastructure development would continue to focus on linking communities with emerging commercial centres and expanding access to economic opportunities.
He noted that improved transportation would support other sectors, including agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and commerce.
6. Enugu Air: Governor Cites Growth in Flight Operations, Pledges Stronger Global Connections
Mbah said Enugu had recorded an increase in flight operations, noting that the state had moved from barely two incoming flights daily when he assumed office to more than 15, according to the administration’s recent review.
He attributed the development to renewed interest in the state and efforts to strengthen its aviation connections.
The governor said Enugu Air and the administration’s wider aviation plans were intended to improve connections between Enugu, other parts of Nigeria and international markets.
He explained that improved air connectivity would make it easier for investors to visit the state, businesses to reach customers and partners, and residents living outside the country to return home and participate in economic activities.
Mbah, however, acknowledged that aviation development alone would not transform the lives of residents in rural communities.
He said the government must ensure that opportunities generated by increased connectivity extended to other sectors and reached more people.
According to him, aviation infrastructure and services form part of the broader economic framework required to position Enugu as a competitive destination for business, tourism and investment.
7. 260 Smart Green Schools: Mbah Targets Quality Education Across All Wards
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education, describing investment in children’s abilities as one of the most important contributions government could make to the state’s future.
He highlighted the administration’s plan for 260 Smart Green Schools, designed to bring improved educational opportunities to every ward in Enugu State.
Mbah said the initiative was intended to bridge educational gaps between urban and rural communities and ensure that children from different backgrounds had access to quality learning.
He explained that changes in technology and the global economy required a new approach to education, with greater emphasis on independent thinking, problem-solving, communication and adaptability.
According to him, children entering school today must be prepared for a future in which technology will transform existing occupations and create entirely new industries.
The governor said the Smart Green Schools initiative was designed to provide a stronger foundation for children to pursue careers in engineering, software development, agriculture, healthcare, teaching and other fields.
He added that the government’s education investment must be matched by economic opportunities capable of absorbing skilled graduates.
Mbah stressed that educating young people without creating opportunities for them to apply their knowledge would undermine the state’s long-term development ambitions.
8. Agricultural Industrialisation: Mbah Seeks Greater Value for Enugu Farmers
Mbah said agriculture remained an important sector for Enugu’s economic development but noted that farmers continued to face challenges involving equipment, storage, processing facilities and market access.
He explained that many farmers worked hard and assumed considerable risks but received only a limited share of the final value generated by their produce.
The governor said the administration wanted to develop an agricultural economy in which more value was created and retained within the state through local processing and related industries.
Using cassava production as an example, he explained that processing agricultural produce locally could create additional employment opportunities beyond farming.
According to him, such activities could generate jobs for equipment operators, technicians, packaging workers, transporters and traders.
He said similar opportunities could emerge from other crops and agricultural products across Enugu, strengthening rural economies and increasing household incomes.
Mbah described agricultural industrialisation as a strategy for connecting farming with manufacturing, processing, logistics and commerce.
He added that developing these connections would help create a more productive economy while expanding opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs and young people.
9. Power Supply, Industrial Investment Key to Enugu’s Economic Transformation — Mbah
The governor identified reliable electricity and industrial investment as essential components of his administration’s economic transformation agenda.
He said inadequate power supply could undermine the productivity of small businesses, food processors, manufacturers and other enterprises that depended on electricity to operate efficiently.
Mbah noted that reliable electricity could enable tailors to work more efficiently, food processors to preserve agricultural produce and manufacturers to operate equipment without constantly relying on expensive alternative power sources.
He said the administration had set out major ambitions for increasing electricity generation and attracting industrial investment.
According to him, these interventions were necessary to create the conditions for businesses to expand and new industries to emerge.
The governor acknowledged that some of the undertakings were long-term projects whose benefits would develop over several years.
He, however, maintained that the state could not afford to postpone investments required to strengthen its productive capacity.
Mbah said the administration would continue to pursue infrastructure and industrial policies capable of supporting economic diversification, job creation and improved living standards.
10. Healthcare: Mbah Pledges Improved Medical Services, Acknowledges Gaps
Mbah said his administration was working to improve healthcare delivery by strengthening primary healthcare facilities and investing in the wider systems needed to make medical services more effective.
He said the quality of healthcare should be assessed by the experiences of residents who need medical attention, particularly children, expectant mothers and elderly people.
According to him, access to medical services should not require families to travel unreasonable distances or shoulder financial burdens they cannot afford.
The governor acknowledged that more work remained to be done to ensure that healthcare improvements reached every community.
He also recognised that some residents were still waiting for completed roads, fully operational facilities and new economic opportunities.
“I understand that frustration. A government must be judged by the experiences of all its citizens, including those who have yet to see the full benefit of its work,” he said.
Mbah assured residents that the administration would continue its development programme while listening to public concerns and making necessary adjustments.
He stressed that healthcare investments must translate into practical improvements in the availability and accessibility of medical services.
11. Tourism, Hospitality, New City Projects to Create Jobs, Attract Investments — Mbah
The governor highlighted the administration’s plans to expand aviation connections, develop tourism destinations, attract major hospitality investments, improve electricity supply and establish new areas for business and residential development.
He said such projects were intended to strengthen Enugu’s attractiveness to investors, visitors and businesses while creating employment opportunities.
Mbah explained that tourism and hospitality investments could stimulate demand for services such as food supply, transportation, maintenance, laundry, construction and other related activities.
He said tourism destinations could also support local businesses and create opportunities for residents to participate in the wider economy.
According to him, improved electricity supply would further make the state more attractive for manufacturing and other productive enterprises.
The governor, however, stressed that government must do more than expect the benefits of major projects to spread automatically.
He said residents needed access to relevant skills, finance and business opportunities to participate meaningfully in the economic activities generated by such investments.
Mbah maintained that the objective was to ensure that major developments created opportunities for smaller enterprises and households across the state.
12. Mbah: Government Must Ensure Benefits of Major Projects Reach Communities
Mbah said the success of the administration’s development agenda would depend partly on its ability to ensure that the benefits of large investments extended to ordinary residents.
He explained that major projects should create opportunities for smaller businesses, entrepreneurs and communities rather than operate in isolation from the wider economy.
According to him, a new hotel should generate demand for local suppliers and service providers, while tourism destinations should support transportation businesses, food vendors and other enterprises.
Similarly, improved roads should enable farmers to reach markets more easily, while better electricity supply should support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses.
The governor said the administration must help residents acquire the skills, access the finance and establish the businesses required to take advantage of these opportunities.
He added that the government would continue to pursue policies intended to strengthen the relationship between large-scale investment and community-level economic development.
Mbah said the ultimate objective was to ensure that economic transformation produced tangible improvements in household incomes, employment and living standards.
13. Governor Identifies Technology, Manufacturing, Agriculture as Drivers of Future Growth
The governor said Enugu must prepare for changes in the global economy by investing in sectors capable of generating productivity, employment and sustainable growth.
He identified technology, modern agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and other productive industries as important areas for future development.
Mbah noted that technological advances were changing how food was produced, goods were manufactured, businesses were managed and knowledge was shared.
He said states that invested in education, infrastructure, skills and productive enterprises would be better positioned to benefit from these changes.
According to him, Enugu’s young population, talented workforce, natural resources and entrepreneurial traditions provided a foundation for future growth.
He, however, warned that these advantages would not automatically translate into prosperity without deliberate planning and investment.
The governor said the administration’s priority was to strengthen the connections between education, skills development, business and industry.
He added that schools, training institutions, private businesses and government agencies must work together to prepare residents for emerging economic opportunities.
14. Mbah Urges Investment in Youth Skills to Prepare Enugu for Emerging Industries
Mbah called for greater investment in skills development to prepare young people for employment and entrepreneurship in emerging industries.
He said young people seeking to establish businesses needed more than encouragement, stressing that they also required relevant skills, access to finance, customers and dependable infrastructure.
The governor explained that the changing nature of work made it necessary for educational institutions and businesses to equip young people with practical and adaptable skills.
He said the development of technology, modern agriculture, manufacturing and tourism would require a workforce capable of meeting new demands.
According to him, the next phase of the administration’s development programme would focus on deepening existing investments, bringing projects into full operation and extending their benefits to communities still waiting for improvements.
Mbah maintained that creating opportunities for young people to participate in the industries of the future was essential to achieving sustainable economic growth.
He also warned that the state could not afford to lose talented young people because of a lack of opportunities at home.
15. ‘We Cannot Afford to Lose Another Generation’: Mbah Highlights Urgency of Development
The governor emphasised the urgency of accelerating development, warning that delays in education, employment and economic opportunities could have lasting consequences for the state’s population.
He noted that children who received inadequate education could lose opportunities that might be difficult to recover later in life.
Similarly, businesses forced to close because of unfavourable operating conditions might never reopen, while talented young people could move elsewhere in search of better prospects.
“We cannot afford to lose another generation of potential,” Mbah said.
He argued that the foundations already being established through investments in infrastructure, education, security and economic development provided an opportunity for the state to accelerate progress.
According to him, decisions made over the coming years would determine how widely the benefits of transformation were shared and how firmly the gains became established.
The governor said the administration remained committed to creating an economy in which residents could develop their abilities, establish businesses and build sustainable livelihoods.
He stressed that the state’s development agenda must deliver opportunities that would improve the prospects of present and future generations.
16. Mbah Calls for Greater Public Participation, Accountability in Governance
Mbah urged residents to become more actively involved in the state’s development process, stressing that government alone could not sustain the transformation Enugu needed.
He said progress also depended on the contributions of teachers, business owners, farmers, community leaders and other residents.
According to him, teachers must take responsibility for the children in their classrooms, business owners should train young employees, and farmers should be encouraged to adopt improved production methods.
The governor also called on citizens to participate in identifying community problems and proposing practical solutions.
He said public participation and accountability were central commitments in the administration’s original Statement of Purpose.
Mbah explained that citizens were more likely to take responsibility for development projects when they understood them and had a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their communities.
He encouraged residents to demand accountability, ask difficult questions and draw the government’s attention to areas requiring improvement.
The governor maintained that a stronger relationship between government and citizens would contribute to the development of effective institutions and more responsive public services.
17. Enugu’s Next Development Phase Must Deliver More Jobs, Opportunities — Mbah
the next phase of Enugu’s development must focus on consolidating existing progress, completing ongoing projects and ensuring that more residents benefit from economic opportunities.
He explained that while the administration had made progress in several areas, the ultimate objective was to create a productive economy that improved the lives of ordinary people.
Mbah said the government would continue to strengthen education, infrastructure, healthcare and the business environment while encouraging investment in productive sectors.
He stressed that economic growth must be accompanied by employment opportunities, particularly for young people entering the workforce.
According to him, the administration’s long-term ambition would require sustained cooperation between government, investors, businesses and residents.
He added that the state must continue preparing for technological and economic changes while ensuring that the benefits of development were not concentrated in a few areas.
Mbah said Enugu had the potential to become one of Nigeria’s major centres of economic and social progress if the state sustained its development efforts.
18. ‘The Morning Is Upon Us’: Mbah Urges Ndi Enugu to Sustain State’s Transformation
Using the imagery of dawn and morning, Mbah described Enugu as a state moving from the initial stages of transformation towards a period requiring sustained effort and greater productivity.
He recalled that when his administration assumed office in May 2023, there was uncertainty about the future, but the government had committed itself to changing the state’s development trajectory.
According to him, the progress made so far had begun to demonstrate what was possible when government and residents worked towards a common objective.
The governor, however, cautioned that the journey was far from complete, noting that the foundations established needed to be strengthened through continued investment and collective effort.
He urged Ndi Enugu to recognise the importance of the current period and contribute to the state’s development.
Mbah said the opportunities before Enugu would require the commitment of government, the confidence of investors, the enterprise of businesses and the active participation of residents.
He maintained that the decisions taken in the coming years would shape the state’s future and determine the opportunities available to subsequent generations.
19. ‘Tomorrow Is Here’: Mbah Reaffirms Commitment to Enugu’s Economic Transformation
Concluding his address, Mbah called on Ndi Enugu to bring their ideas, skills, enterprise and experience into the development of the state.
He encouraged residents to take an interest in developments within their communities, help identify problems and contribute practical solutions.
The governor also urged young people to embrace learning, innovation and entrepreneurship while preparing themselves to take advantage of emerging opportunities.
He said the administration wanted to leave behind a state with stronger institutions, a more productive economy, better opportunities for children and communities whose residents could take pride in their collective achievements.
Mbah maintained that the transformation of Enugu required shared responsibility and a sustained commitment to the common good.
He expressed confidence that the state could realise its development ambitions through continued cooperation between government and the people.
“That is the Enugu I want us to build. And I believe we have reached the point in our history when we can begin to make that ambition real,” he said.
The governor concluded with his administration’s rallying message: “Ndi Enugu, Tomorrow Is Here.”
He urged residents to remain committed to building a state that would provide greater opportunities for present and future generations.
The attention of the Enugu APC Campaign Council has been drawn to contrived layers of spurious allegations blatantly spewed against the credibility of the management of Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu and, by extension, the integrity of the APC-led Enugu State Government through a viral video.
Silence could have been golden, save for the brazen frivolity that characterised the chronicled and dramatized falsehood intentionally deployed to embarrass and impugn the image of the entire state, and invariably validate their next lie in the sequence of street-level mendacities, while an unsuspecting section of the populace may remain confused. Ndi-Enugu must therefore prepare to rise above such barefaced antics, gimmicks and shenanigans from the pit of hell.
We admit that the Social media is a platform that has unwittingly provided countless opportunities for the audience to be mesmerised with scintillating and breathtaking performances while advertising cognitive brilliance and prolific imagination. Yet, it paradoxically affords some of its users the unmistakable luxury of exciting mediocrity and licensed idiocy.
What we understand as a breach or violation of Clause 17 of the terms and conditions of a personal agreement reached with the management of Amadeo Event Centre by one Dr Sabastine Chuks Eze, a disguised client who paraded himself as the Registrar of the Nigeria Institute of Healthcare Givers and Medical Social Work Practitioners, in which he assented to the right of the aforesaid management to halt any activity, meeting, or event not conducted strictly in accordance with the stipulated rules of engagement, eventually metamorphosed into an NDC contract to host a town hall meeting at the behest of former Governor Peter Obi.
Instructively, the Amadeo management had since divested and deconstructed the dubious, speedy and strange garb with which the latest in this series of lies were cloaked, lest the public be deceived with the baseless, misleading and ill-motivated circus of freshly conjured lies, or outrageous spectacle of fabricated stories, blatant falsehoods, and disinformation.
However, in a fruitless bid to deceive a highly elitist and intellectually persuaded Enugu electorate, Mrs Ada Ogbu and her dramatis personae threw caution, her pedigree and the pious proclivities of their members to the wind in what perhaps turned out to be muddying the waters of unforced errors. It is therefore not only ridiculously stunning, but defies all imagination, mangles all logics, and belies all credulity that the Senatorial candidate of NDC and her co-travellers would condescend to the despicable level of openly linking Enugu Government to an ill-fated and self-defeatist attempt at surreptitiously hosting a presidential candidate through the cesspit of deceit, manipulation and immorality.
Where is the ecclesiastical rectitude, untainted probity, and self-acclaimed morality that Governor Peter Obi preaches? Have they not been cascaded to Enugu NDC members?
The APC family in Enugu and the teeming supporters of our performing Governor, already armed by the opponent’s innate sophistry in contriving evil, and the frightening frequency of these concocted absurdities by the Enugu NDC, could not have been deceived or appalled by the imputation repressive state influence in a simple case of default in private commercial agreement. Rather, we are condemned to view this latest slant from the precincts of a smokescreen, an unholy prelude and a failed alibi to validate future theatricals and nuisance targeting unsuspecting Enugu voters.
Enugu NDC has failed on arrival. It is almost non-existent in Enugu and perhaps gains its only infinitesimal traction whenever the state government or the name of our erudite Governor is mentioned in its tales of woes.
Enugu State under the enigmatic and talismanic Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has been judicially noticed as an epicentre of enduring peace, modern security, exponential growth, sustainable development, serene ambience, and the alluring harmony of a united people. Mischievously linking uncharitable words or deeds, without verifiable facts, to a revered state even the NDC purportedly intends to govern, is antithetical to the minimum acceptable trust values and the widely acknowledged enviable security profile of Enugu State.
A cursory look at the rejoinder from the management of Amadeo Event Centre would easily suggest that Mrs Ada Ogbu (NDC Enugu East Senatorial Candidate) should apologise to Ndi Enugu. Only in her lucid and unagitated moments will she realise how much she has offended the sensibilities and temperament of Ndi-Enugu, famous for their uncanny savvy, intellectual nobility, sublime virility, exquisite power of imagination, and peerless sense of history.
Ndi-Enugu, the 2027 Elections are about issues, ideas and the definitive capacity to deliver. Therefore, no amount of smear politics, incendiary comments, political calumny, or media frenzy can rewrite Dr Peter Mbah’s glowing credentials, deeply entrenched in the hearts of our electorate, who are watching in pleasant shock as the dividends of democracy are being positively re-imagined and re-engineered in their favour.
STEVE ORURUO
Spokesperson and Director
Public Communications
ENUGU STATE APC CAMPAIGN COUNCIL
…ADC senatorial candidate cites ₦50m social interventions, promises agricultural revolution, jobs, improved healthcare and rural infrastructure
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) senatorial candidate for Benue South, Dr David Adejo Abraham Olofu, has unveiled a 12-point legislative agenda anchored on People, Power, Prosperity and Progress (PPPP), promising a new direction for the district if elected to the Senate in 2027.
Olofu unveiled the agenda at the weekend during the flag-off of the ADC zonal campaign in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State. He described the 2027 election as an opportunity to redefine political representation and accelerate development across the nine local government areas of the senatorial district.
Addressing party faithful, traditional rulers, religious leaders, women and youth groups, the former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning said his proposed legislative blueprint was informed by his experience in public service and interventions in education, healthcare and economic empowerment.
To demonstrate his commitment to the welfare of constituents, Olofu highlighted three major intervention programmes through which he said millions of naira had been committed to supporting vulnerable residents, students and young entrepreneurs.
Under the Apa Legacy Sustainability Initiative (ALSI), he said more than 300 students from the nine local government areas had benefited from an annual scholarship scheme providing ₦100,000 to each beneficiary.
The programme, which commenced in 2024, has attracted ₦30 million in funding over three years, according to the candidate.
He also disclosed that he committed ₦10 million in November 2025 to St Helen’s Specialist Hospital, Otukpo, to offset the medical bills of pregnant women from Benue South, irrespective of their religious, political or ethnic backgrounds.
Similarly, through his Wealth and Empowerment in Benue South (WEBS) initiative, Olofu said beneficiaries had received grants of ₦200,000 each, with ₦10 million earmarked annually for five years. He added that rural women, particularly widows, and small-scale entrepreneurs had also benefited from the scheme.
The ADC candidate further disclosed that he had initiated an investment-based empowerment programme through which more than 200 constituents were reportedly supported with credits to acquire 50 units each of Dangote Refinery shares. He described the initiative as an effort to promote asset ownership and long-term wealth creation.
12-POINT AGENDA
Unveiling his 12-point agenda, Olofu identified education, healthcare, agriculture, enterprise development, digital skills, infrastructure, local government autonomy, security, equitable resource allocation and institutional accountability among his major priorities.
On education, he promised to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education, facilitate the establishment of science laboratories at local government headquarters, provide public libraries and expand scholarship, bursary and mentorship opportunities for students.
In the healthcare sector, he pledged to facilitate the rehabilitation of primary healthcare centres, improve medical staffing and preventive healthcare services, and expand health insurance coverage for indigent households.
For agriculture, Olofu proposed the establishment of a Special Purpose Agricultural Zone along the River Benue, supported by land development, produce aggregation centres, warehouse receipt systems, guaranteed off-take arrangements and agro-processing clusters across the district.
He said the initiative would help move farmers from subsistence production to commercial agriculture, boost productivity and create sustainable employment opportunities in rural communities.
The former commissioner also promised to facilitate access to finance for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises, strengthen cooperative societies, provide business development support and connect rural producers to wider markets.
To tackle youth unemployment, he proposed the establishment of information and communication technology (ICT) hubs and digital skills centres to equip young people with competencies in software development, data management and online business.
On infrastructure, Olofu pledged to prioritise strategic rural and inter-community roads linking farms to markets and communities to healthcare facilities. He also promised to advocate a review of master plans for local government headquarters.
Addressing insecurity, the ADC candidate said he would pursue stronger legislative frameworks and enhanced collaboration among security agencies, traditional institutions and lawful vigilante groups.
He also proposed community-based peacebuilding, alternative dispute resolution, early-warning mechanisms and technology-driven surveillance to address security challenges.
“Security is the foundation of all development,” he stressed.
EXPERIENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Olofu said his experience as Benue State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning between 2015 and 2023, Chairman of the Forum of State Commissioners for Finance and Senior Technical Adviser on Fiscal Policy to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum would strengthen his capacity to attract development projects and ensure the implementation of approved interventions.
As part of his proposed accountability framework, he announced plans to establish two non-partisan institutions: the Benue South Peoples Assembly (BSPA), which would aggregate community needs and monitor projects, and the Benue South People’s Council, comprising traditional rulers, professionals, women, youths, religious leaders and socio-cultural groups.
Other priorities outlined by the candidate include industrial layouts, technology hubs, ward-level enterprise initiatives, solar-powered agro-processing centres, renewable energy projects, diaspora investment partnerships, skills acquisition centres and community sports facilities.
Olofu, who described his decision to join the ADC as a choice for a new political direction, cautioned that changing political parties alone would not transform people’s lives without quality leadership and measurable results.
He appealed for unity among the nine local government areas, insisting that no community should be left behind in the pursuit of development.
He also promised regular consultations with constituents, public reporting of his legislative activities and budget implementation, as well as greater citizen participation in monitoring constituency projects.
“Representation is service, not ownership,” he declared.
PARTY LEADERS EXPRESS CONFIDENCE
Earlier, the Chairman of the Campaign Advisory Council, John Ngbede, praised the large turnout at the campaign flag-off and expressed confidence in Olofu’s capacity to provide effective representation for the district.
Ngbede described the candidate as an experienced public administrator with the capacity and track record to deliver meaningful development. He urged voters across the nine local government areas to support all ADC candidates in the 2027 elections.
The ADC State Chairman, Chief Samson Okwu, also thanked supporters for their impressive turnout, describing it as evidence of the party’s growing political strength in the senatorial district.
Okwu, a former three-term member of the House of Representatives representing Oju/Obi Federal Constituency, expressed confidence that the ADC would defeat its political opponents in the forthcoming elections.
In his remarks, the ADC governorship candidate in Benue State, Hon. Heman Hembe, urged voters to reject the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing its government of inflicting hardship on Nigerians.
Hembe also criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia over what he described as the state government’s failure to deliver commensurate development despite substantial allocations from the Federation Account.
He called on Benue voters to support the ADC in 2027, promising a different approach to governance.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Olofu Campaign Organisation, Chief Chris Adaba Abah, urged the people of Benue South to rally behind all ADC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Abah, who hails from Enone Federal Constituency, argued that the senatorial seat had been dominated by his constituency for more than three decades. He called for a fairer distribution of political opportunities within the district.
He maintained that other parts of Benue South should also have the opportunity to produce a senator, stressing the need for equity, inclusion and political balance.
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