Politics
Who is Against the Second Term Bid of Gov Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, And Why Mbah Must Serve Again And Beyond
By Engr. Prince Wilfred Ifenjika Edeoga
In the enduring theatre of politics, resistance is not an exception but a rule. Every leader who dares to deviate from the path of mediocrity, or chooses to dismantle the architecture of decay that were hitherto inherent in a bid to replace it with the scaffolding of hope, will inevitably provoke the ire of those who benefited from the old order. Progress is never silent, It is noisy, disruptive, and most times resentful to those whose comfort was built on existing stagnation of development. Reform does not negotiate with vested interests, it displaces them. And that, perhaps more than any policy or project, explains why the clamouring across Enugu State today about whether Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah deserves a second term and in the affirmative, he meritoriously qualify for that as well as other higher public duties.
So who, in the fullness of their senses, with all the glaring catalogue of verifiable achievements, could stand against the continuity of a government that has redefined what governance means in the South-East and indeed across Nigeria.
When Dr. Peter Mbah mounted the podium on May 29, 2023, to take the oath of office as the 5th democratically elected Governor of Enugu State, he did not come making the usual rhetorics of political campaigns. He came with a covenant; a mantra wrapped in three simple but revolutionary words: “Our Tomorrow Is Here.” To the untrained ear, it sounded like campaign poetry, the kind of phrase that is uttered at rallies and forgotten at the gates of Government House. To the political scientist, it was a social contract written in real time. To the economist, it was a key performance indicator. To the ordinary citizen in Udi, Nsukka, Nkanu, Aninri, Awgu, etc, it was a promise that the future had been told to wait; the future that had always been deferred from one administration to another generation, to begin immediately. And indeed, it began with speed, precision, and intentionality that has left even skeptics scrambling for new adjectives to describe what is happening in Enugu State.
Without painting an ornamentation of partisan loyalty, facts are eloquently abound that when Governor Mbah assumed office, Enugu’s Gross Domestic Product stood at approximately $4.4 billion; a figure not just negligible, but too migre to drive the economic potential of a state blessed with enormous human and material resources.
Rather than accept this as destiny, the Mbah administration set its sights on a target that many dismissed as audacious, if not impossible: to grow Enugu’s economy to 30 billion dollars by the year 2031. That is not a usual campaign slogan, but an excellentlly articulated economic blueprint being executed in real time through deliberate policies, aggressive reforms, and a development philosophy.
This is an idea of inclusive prosperity, where a state rises with all its component parts rising together.
What makes Mbah’s administration different is not just the scale of ambition, but the method of execution wherein the administration treated governance as serious business, not as a ceremonial pageant.
He came into office not as a career politician seeking relevance, but as a consummate technocrat, a respected legal luminary, and a tested grassroots mobilizer who sat at top echelon of management of Pinnacle Oil and Gas from a two-room apartment in Lagos to a multi-billion-naira enterprise from where he brought to Enugu State the discipline of the boardroom and the sensitivity of a man who understands that public office is a trust, not a trophy. His Midas touch is not myth, it is visible in the revival of moribund projects that had become monuments of governmental failure. These institutions and projects include the Presidential Hotel, once a symbol of Enugu’s hospitality and tourism which was reduced to a skeleton but has now been rebuilt to assume it’s former status. The International Conference Centre, abandoned for over two decades, has been redesigned and delivered with a speed and quality that defy the old stereotyped public sector lethargy. Niger Gas Company Limited, dormant for over thirty years, has been fully upgraded and returned to production with many on it’s employ. These are not isolated interventions, they are statements of intent, signaling to investors that Enugu is open for business and that contracts with government will no longer end in the graveyard of abandoned projects.
But the true measure of any administration is not found in the grandeur of flagship projects alone. It is found in the daily lives of the people. It is found in whether the farmer in Isi-Uzo can move his produce to market without transportation vehicle sinking into crater-like portholes on various portions of the road. It is found in whether the pregnant woman in Uzo-Uwani can access antenatal care without traveling thirty kilometers to the city. It is found in whether the child in a remote village in Nkerefi can sit in a classroom that has light, internet, and a teacher who is motivated and equipped. On all these counts, the Mbah administration is not just performing, it is redefining a standard that is engraved in the sand of time.
Considering infrastructure, the skeleton upon which every developing economy is built, , this government commenced construction of over 800 kilometers of roads across the state, some of which have been completed. These are not vanity roads that begin and end at the governor’s hometown. They are strategic arteries designed to integrate the state, open up rural economies, and reduce the cost of doing business. The Enugu-Ugwogo-Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway will bring unprecedented transformation to the Enugu North senatorial zone while linking agricultural communities directly to urban markets and to the university town of Nsukka. The Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Ikem-Isi-Uzo corridor is opening up communities that were once cut off during the rainy seasons. Others are the Ugwogo to Awhum Udi local government, the Ugwogo, Agbogazi, Amankanu, Umualor, brand new roads that never existed before and over 100k in Enugu North senatorial zone that is also on-going. There also many link roads that are on-going in Enugu East senatorial zone which will also connect Nkanu agro corridor there. In Enugu metropolis alone, 90 urban roads with drainages have been completed and commissioned, ending decades of flooding, traffic gridlock, and vehicular damage that had made commuting a nightmare. And beyond roads, the administration has delivered five ultra-modern transport terminals at Holy Ghost, Gariki, Abakpa, and Nsukka, complete with CNG-powered buses, digital timetables, standardized bus shelters, and a transport management system that brings order to what was once like a chaos in these places. This is not just road construction, it is economic integration given the role of transportation in every economy. However, one may not completely chronicle the numerous capital projects Mbah’s administration has done or is doing June 2023 till date and the aftermath is the clamour for continuity of his leadership of the state till 2031.
A cursory look at Enugu healthcare sector, unveils a government disposition to humane principles which manifests on it’s level of care for the wellness of it’s people. The philosophy of this administration is disarmingly simple: where you live should not determine whether you live. To give life to that philosophy, Governor Mbah is building 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres across all 260 wards in Enugu State. As of early 2025, sixty of these facilities have been completed and commissioned, with the remainder at various stages of completion. Each PHC is designed as a 24-hour facility, equipped with solar power, staff quarters, laboratories, pharmacy, perimeter fencing, and modern medical equipment. For a mother in labor at 2 a.m. in a village in Igbo-Eze South, this means she no longer has to pray that a commercial bus will be available to take her to Parklane. For the elderly man managing hypertension in a remote part of Nkanu East, this means he can have his blood pressure checked and his drugs refilled within walking distance from his home. This is what equitable development looks like. This is what it means to govern with empathy.
At the secondary and tertiary levels, the transformation is equally profound. The 300-bed Enugu International Hospital, designed to provide specialized and advanced medical care, is being equipped to reverse the humiliating trend of medical tourism that has drained billions of dollars from Nigeria annually. The Parklane Specialist Hospital, Enugu’s flagship tertiary facility, is undergoing structural and equipment upgrades. Three Type-3 hospitals at Adani, Agbogugu, and Nara have been re-equipped to offer surgical and emergency services. When these facilities are fully operational, Enugu will not just be treating patients. It will be training doctors, conducting research, and positioning itself as a medical hub for the entire South-East. That is the difference between building a clinic and instituting a virile healthcare system.
Education in the view of every serious leader, is the most powerful weapon for the overall development of every human society. Governor Mbah has placed education at the center of his development agenda, allocating 33 percent of the 2025 budget to the sector; a figure that surpassed the UNESCO recommendation and exceeds what many developed nations spend. It is an obvious fact that Mba’s administration believes the future of Enugu is not forged in Government House, but in the classroom. The Smart Green Schools initiative is the most ambitious education reform in any Nigeria state’s history. Two hundred and sixty schools, one in every ward, are being built or upgraded to feature digital whiteboards, robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories, science laboratories, renewable energy systems, and free daily meals for over 300,000 pupils. The objective is not merely to teach children how to read and write. It is to produce a generation of Enugu children who are digitally literate, scientifically curious, and globally competitive. Alongside this, the Government Technical College in Enugu is being reconstructed repositioned to produce technicians, craftsmen and artisans that a 21st century economy demands. For too long, we have produced graduates without skills. This administration is correcting that imbalance by investing in technical and vocational education with the same seriousness it invests in universities. The achievements in education sector is incomplete without recourse to the award of scholarships to many tertiary undergraduate and post graduate students from 17 local government areas of Enugu State to study various degrees and disciplines that will contribute in future development of the state.
And because no development can thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity, the administration has made security a foundational pillar. A state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre has been launched, integrating thousands of CCTV cameras across the state into a central surveillance grid. One hundred and fifty AI-driven security patrol vehicles, equipped with facial and license plate recognition technology, have been deployed. These are not ordinary patrol vans. They are intelligent, data-driven assets that can detect threats in real time, track criminal movement, and respond with precision. And in a historic first for the south east, the Governor commissioned the first ever DNA Forensic and Criminal Investigation Centre in Enugu State. This is a massive epochal step that moves criminal investigation from conjecture to science. It strengthens deterrence, accelerates justice delivery and restore public confidence in law and order. A state that can forensically secure investment. The result is not propaganda. It is measurable. Violent crime has declined. Farmers have returned to their farms. Night travel has resumed on highways that were once no-go areas after dusk. When people feel safe, they invest. When they invest, the economy grows. That is the chain of cause and effect that Governor Mbah understands better than most.
But Governor Mbah is not stopping at security and roads. He understands that no modern economy can grow without power, and no industry can compete without electricity. In another to actualize his avowed resolve and vision, Mbah has gone ahead to implement construction of an Enugu Power Generation Plant to ensure uninterrupted power supply across the state. This is not a promise made in passing, instead, it is a commitment born from the understanding that industry, innovation, and investment all depend on stable electricity. For the welder in Gariki who loses hours of work to blackout, for the small business owner in Nsukka whose freezer spoils goods every time NEPA fails and for the student who cannot read at night, this power plant will be more than infrastructure. It will be freedom. It will power homes, factories, schools, and hospitals with reliability that Enugu has never known. When that plant comes online, darkness will no longer dictate the pace of our progress.
Mbah’s vision to reinvent production inorder to create jobs for the greater unemployed population culminated in the making of Enugu an electronics producing state instead of a consumer state. In a world driven by technology, Enugu state is not just hosting a company that assemble phones, computers, solar panels, and other electronic components, but it has pinned the state on the global map as well as positioned it for international economic identity.
Mbah has created all enabling environment to change the narrative to make Enugu a manufacturing hub as it was during the M I Okpara industrial era. It is the kind of vision that could transform the state from the consumption of imported goods to producer of goods of global value.
With the resolve and commitment for Enugu Power generating Plant, which the governor is vigorously pursuing, the electronics ecosystem will develop a taproot; a boost to effective technological take off that will open a gateway to industrialization for the purpose of driving the state’s economic sustainability.
Mbah ardently believe that the economy will obviously thrive if it is agro based as was the vision of the first republic leaders in Nigeria. As a result his administration made huge investments in the agricultural sector in a bid create the needed jobs for the teaming population. His core achievements include a N2 billion “One Ward, One Farm Estate” project, distribution of subsidized agro-inputs to over 60,000 farmers, and the construction of sub-Saharan Africa’s first tractor assembly plant which is a step towards the realization of mechanised agriculture in state.
But beyond the concrete and steel, beyond the budgets and blueprints, what truly distinguishes this administration is its political philosophy of inclusiveness in the system. The rear combination of true ability and diligence that enabled Mbah’s conquest of both private and public duty gave him the quantum leap to manage the fractious politics of Enugu State. His move into the All Progressives Congress, APC, was not out of desperation, rather a strategic calculation for the good of Ndi Enugu. People are wondering why he switched to APC, and the answer is simple: there is no full life without a primary source. With the massive vision and projects he has for the state, he needs to position Enugu well with the power at the center which has eventually paid off in attracting goodies like elevating the Enugu airport to a truly international status, plus the many other Federal government presence in the State.
In view of the good relationship that Enugu State enjoy with the present Federal government, it is a partnership of wisdom, meant to attract a lot of goodies to the state. A lot of federal projects are ongoing: the Onitsha to Enugu dual carriageway, the Enugu to Ebonyi expressway, and the Enugu-Abia-Port Harcourt expressway are all under construction by the federal government with a 30-year road quality guarantee. To oppose alignment with central government at this moment is to oppose progress.
Strategic partnership is power. Therefore since the political defection of Mbah has not in any way negatively affected his delivery of democracy dividends, any person driven by unusual political sentiment to discredit him has lost touch with reason.
And speaking of development that touches every home, which include water supply, if one move around Enugu, it will be seen that imported sumo pipes being laid to tackle the issue which has been the oppositions critical anchor point. His Excellency has decided that water supply in Enugu will be finally fixed.
For decades, residents woke up to dry taps and bought water from vendors but that story is changing because the governor chose to attack the problem from its root. With laying of pipes, rebuilding of reservoirs and engineering works, better stories will be told about supply of water in Enugu.
Now, with all this evidence before us, the question must be asked again, and this time with greater audacity: who, then, is against the second-term bid of Governor Peter Mbah? The answer, when stripped of political pretensions, is clear. Opposition in this context is not ideological. It is existential. It comes from three categories of people. First, the displaced, those who benefited from the old system where access to state resources was determined by proximity to power rather than merit or need. Reform has closed those loopholes, and those who thrived in opacity are uncomfortable with transparency. Second, the impatient, political actors who believe that governorship is a rotational entitlement that must change hands every four years regardless of performance. They confuse democracy with rotation, and rotation with justice. Third, the contrarians, a small but vocal minority who oppose for the sake of opposition, mistaking cynicism for sophistication and criticism for contribution. None of these groups represent the market woman at Ogbete Main Market whose stall is now accessible by a paved road. None of them represent the teachers and pupils/students in Smart Green Schools who now have digital whiteboards and reliable electricity. None of them represent the nurses at the new PHC in their wards who can now offer delivery services at night without fear. None of them represent the graduates who see Enugu Air taking off from Akanu Ibiam International Airport and believes that there future need not be in Lagos or abroad. Nowhere is the administration’s strategic foresight more evident than in aviation and logistics, the Governor in agreement with federal minister to partner with Aero Alliance Limited to assume stewardship of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport under a landmark 30 years public/private partnership concession. This singular act has laid the foundation for an airport that truly connects people to opportunities. By concessioning this critical national asset to a competent private operator, Enugu has unlocked direct access to global markets, strengthened cargo connectivity with international trade hubs such as Guangzhou, China, lowered logistics costs for our vast trading community, and created the infrastructure backbone to support our ambition of welcoming over 3 million visitors annually. None of these represent the technician who dreams of working in an Enugu electronics factory powered by Enugu electricity. None of them represent the family that now sees water pipes being laid on their street after years of waiting. The real Ndi Enugu, the pragmatic, hardworking, God-fearing people who constitute the soul of this state, are not looking for promises. They are looking for performance. And they have seen it.
This is why the second-term bid of Governor Peter Mbah is not about ambition. It is about continuity. It is about completing what has been started. The 260 PHCs must be fully staffed and operational. The 260 Smart Schools must be fully equipped and populated. The 30 billion dollar economy must be realized. The Enugu International Airport fully concessioned must work for good of Enugu state, and Enugu Air must expand to a fleet of 20 aircraft to make Enugu the true aviation and logistics hub of the South-East. The Enugu Power Plant must be built to end the tyranny of darkness. The electronics manufacturing vision must move from blueprint to factory floor. The water infrastructure must be completed so that no street goes thirsty again. These are not tasks for a new administration to learn from scratch. They are tasks for a team that has already built the foundation, understood the terrain, and demonstrated the capacity to deliver.
And this is where the conversation must expand beyond Enugu. Because what Governor Mbah is doing is not just state governance. It is a demonstration model for what Nigeria can become when leadership is driven by competence, data, and discipline. He has shown that a state can grow its IGR geometrically without crushing its citizens with taxes. He has shown that public projects can be delivered on time and on budget. He has shown that political unity and administrative performance are not mutually exclusive. He has shown that security can be intelligent, power can be homegrown, and manufacturing can be localized. He has shown that alignment with the center, when done in the interest of the people, accelerates good governance. These are lessons the nation needs at the highest level. These are the reasons why, after his second tenure in 2031, the nation must look at Mbah not just as an ex-governor, but as a national asset. Nigeria at that time will need leaders who have proven that development is possible, that institutions can work, that public funds can be managed with integrity, and that governance can be compassionate and efficient at the same time. The man who is transforming Enugu from a 4.4 billion dollar economy with a clear path to 30 billion dollars, the man who is building healthcare and education system from the ward level up, the man who restored confidence in government through transparency and delivery, the man who brought AI-driven security and promised homegrown power and electronics manufacturing, and who had the courage to align with the federal government for the sake of his people, is precisely the kind of leader Nigeria will need to consolidate its own national transformation. Projecting him for higher office after 2031 is not flattery. It is strategic foresight. It is recognizing that the template he has created in Enugu can and must be scaled to the national stage.
So, to every son and daughter of Enugu, to every voter in the 17 local government areas, to every youth wondering if politics can still deliver, the message is simple: Tomorrow Is Here, but Tomorrow must be allowed to finish its work. Do not interrupt a rebirth mid-delivery. Do not trade proven performance for untested promises. Do not let partisan sentiment blind you to visible progress. Do not let the forces of the past hijack the future of your children. Stand with Governor Peter Mbah. Vote for continuity. Vote for completion. And when the time comes, let Nigeria also benefit from the leadership that has made Enugu a reference point for good governance.
Finally, history will be kind to those who stood with this administration. Their names will be recorded among those who chose progress over paralysis, development over decay, and courage over complacency. But history will be unkind to those who stood in the way of this development and progress. The will of the people, once awakened by performance, is the most unstoppable force in democracy as Ndi Enugu, having tasted purposeful governance, will not return to darkness.
Peter Mbah has not just governed, he has shown that governance can be fruitful to the people.
Consequently he must be supported by all good loving people to continue and also woo him after 2031 as our nation must be considering him for a national duty.
Engr. Prince Wilfred Ifenjika Edeoga
(Ceo: CACU & CO GROUP)
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.
By Nnamani Arinze Darlington
Uche Nnaji,
Your recent political attack video demanding the history of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is noted. Since you have asked, let us examine the history, the journey, the business background, and the record of the man currently entrusted with the leadership of Enugu State.
But before we begin, let us establish one fundamental truth: *it is easy to criticise a governor; it is considerably more difficult to demonstrate that you possess the competence, character, experience, and vision to govern better.*
It is public knowledge that you are currently facing serious allegations of certificate forgery involving the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree certificate and NYSC discharge certificate that you presented during your ministerial screening. Both institutions have disowned the documents. An investigative panel set up by the Federal Ministry of Education found the certificates to be forged. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is prosecuting the matter in court, with charges that also touch on related issues of fraud and abuse of office. You have pleaded not guilty, and the trial is ongoing. These are not political fabrications; they are matters of public record currently before the courts and the Nigerian people.
Until you fully clear your name on these historic and serious allegations of fraudulent activity and certificate forgery, your attempts to distract Ndi Enugu with personal attacks on the Governor only raise further questions about your own credibility and fitness for public office.
Uche Nnaji
The people of Enugu State deserve a political conversation built on facts, ideas, accountability, and measurable results, not a contest of personal attacks.
If your ambition is to lead Enugu State, Ndi Enugu deserve to know what you intend to do differently.
What is your economic blueprint for Enugu State?
How will you create sustainable employment for our young people?
What is your plan for education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, security, and industrial development?
How will you improve the standard of living of ordinary citizens while strengthening the state’s economic capacity?
And what concrete policies would you implement to deliver better results than those you criticise?
These are the questions that matter.
*Political ambition is not a development plan. Criticism is not competence. And the desire to occupy Government House is not proof of the capacity to govern.*
Since you have demanded Peter Mbah’s history, let us put his background and public record into perspective.
MBAH’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Peter Ndubuisi Mbah was born on 17 March 1972 to Chief Gilbert Ekete Mbah and his wife in Owo, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. He grew up in a modest family that instilled hard work, integrity, and service. His primary education was at Army Children’s School, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate with distinction and even skipped a class due to outstanding performance. Secondary education was completed at Owode High School, Owode Egba, Ogun State, where he obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate in 1992.
At about age 12, when family finances were strained and further education for him risked interrupting his siblings’ schooling, he chose to leave school temporarily. He was sent to Lagos to apprentice as an electronics trader at Alaba Market. He started small, trading, saving, and learning the discipline of business from the ground up. He later imported Mercedes-Benz parts from Germany, became sole representative for a Turkish company, and built a reputation for reliability and trust in international trade long before any political office.
His Educational Background
Recognising the value of formal education while trading, he pursued law at the University of East London (UEL), United Kingdom, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in the Upper Division in 2000. At UEL he was President of the Students’ Law Society (1998–99), transforming it into the university’s Most Productive Society of the Year; he served on the Students’ Representative Council and School of Law Board, won the university’s Mooting Competition, and represented UEL at the International Negotiation Competition.
He returned to Nigeria, attended the Nigerian Law School, and was called to the Nigerian Bar. He earned a Master’s degree in Maritime and Commercial Law from Lagos State University in 2004. He further obtained an MBA from IESE Business School, University of Navarra (Barcelona, Spain), a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and completed the Chief Executive Programme at Lagos Business School, along with executive programmes at institutions including Harvard and Stanford. In 2021 Godfrey Okoye University awarded him an honorary Doctorate in Political Science; more recently his alma mater, the University of East London, conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws.
The significance of this background is straightforward: Peter Mbah’s professional journey did not begin when he became governor. His involvement in business and public administration preceded his emergence as the chief executive of Enugu State.
That history deserves to be examined through evidence, not reduced to political rhetoric.
2. HE WAS A BUSINESSMAN BEFORE GOVERNOR
His wealth was built through legitimate entrepreneurship over decades:
In 1992 he founded Peter Mbah Investments Limited, a trading and oil-and-gas services firm that became the Nigerian representative/sole agent for International Oil Corporation (IOC) of Fresno, California.
Between 1993 and 1997 he founded GILPEL Industries Ltd., importing and distributing general goods and domestic electrical appliances (with significant turnover).
He established Focus International Schools in Lagos — a quality primary and secondary institution reflecting his belief in education.
In 2004 he registered, and in 2008 began full operations of, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd. from a modest one-room office with minimal capital and a tiny staff. Through innovation in petroleum product handling, storage, logistics, and customer focus, Pinnacle grew into a major indigenous player in Nigeria’s downstream sector. It developed significant infrastructure, including an ultra-modern offshore petroleum products intake and off-take facility (SPM/CBM and large storage) in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, one of the notable liquid bulk terminals of its kind in the region plus facilities in Warri, a fleet of trucks, and a network of retail stations across Nigeria.
This is the source of his business success: starting as an apprentice trader, building import businesses, representing international partners with integrity, and then scaling an indigenous oil-and-gas company through hard work, innovation, and corporate governance not through any public office.
Of course, every claim about business success must withstand scrutiny. Questions about ownership, investments, corporate performance, and the origins of wealth are legitimate in a democracy.
But scrutiny must be based on evidence.
*If you want to challenge a man’s record, bring evidence. If you want to replace his leadership, bring a better plan.*
That is the standard Ndi Enugu should demand of every politician seeking their confidence.
3. HIS GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE
Before becoming governor, Peter Mbah served as Chief of Staff to former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and later as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in Enugu State.
These positions exposed him to government administration, public finance, economic planning, and the challenges of managing state resources.
His subsequent election as governor marked another chapter in that professional journey.
In 2003, after contesting an elective position, he was appointed Chief of Staff to then-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. He later served as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development. In those roles he chaired the State Tenders Board, sat on the Executive Council and State Security Council, and contributed to fiscal reforms and strategy documents that guided state development programmes. NewsWatch magazine in 2006 described him as “a man ahead of his time” for his work on the state’s fiscal operations.
Since assuming office on 29 May 2023 under the _Tomorrow Is Here_ vision, Governor Mbah has pursued a results-driven agenda focused on growing Enugu’s economy from approximately $4.4 billion toward a $30 billion target, eradicating poverty, and positioning the state as a preferred destination for investment, tourism, business, and living. Key verifiable milestones (as documented in the administration’s September 2026 scorecard and subsequent updates) include:
A. Infrastructure and Road Development
Over 1,521 kilometres of roads constructed or reconstructed across urban and rural areas, including strategic corridors such as the Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Ikem dual carriageway (a new gateway linking the state northward). Multiple phases of urban roads, gateway roads, and rural connectivity projects continue. The New Enugu Smart City (approximately 10,000 hectares spanning several LGAs) is under development with integrated underground infrastructure for roads, water, power, telecommunications, and sewerage.
B. Education and the Smart Green Schools Initiative
A state that invests in education invests in its future.
The administration’s Smart Green Schools initiative seeks to modernise basic education through improved classrooms, digital learning resources, ICT facilities, and other educational infrastructure.
Construction and equipping of 260–268 Smart Green Schools (one per political ward), delivering over 7,000 classrooms. These feature digital classrooms, ICT centres, robotics and AI labs, e-libraries, solar power, smart farms for practical agriculture, free uniforms, books, tablets, and daily meals for pupils. Roughly 33% of recent budgets has been allocated to education. Teacher training is ongoing through the Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation. The schools began full transition for the 2025/2026 academic session.
C. Healthcare and the Welfare of Citizens
260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres built and equipped across all wards, with recruitment of over 2,250–2,500 health personnel to ensure 24/7 service. Construction and equipping of the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital is advancing to reduce medical tourism outflows. Secondary facilities and related investments continue.
D. Water Supply
Significant restoration of pipe-borne water: daily production capacity raised dramatically (from low single-digit millions of litres to over 120 million litres in the municipal area through interventions including the 9th Mile scheme and supporting power generation). Reticulation and further expansion remain ongoing priorities.
E. Agriculture and Economic Revival
Development of over 260 farm estates (one per ward) supporting more than 18,000 smallholder farmers with mechanisation, storage, aggregation, and processing. Land banking of hundreds of thousands of hectares. Revitalisation of United Palm Products Limited (major investment, replanting, and resumption of commercial production), Sunrise Flour Mills, Nigergas (oxygen and industrial gases), and other moribund assets. Partnerships for agro-processing and value chains.
F. Transportation and Aviation
Launch and expansion of Enugu Air (growing fleet and routes). Increase in daily flights into Enugu from roughly 2 to 15–20. Construction of modern transport terminals (Holy Ghost, Abakpa, Nsukka, and others). Deployment of over 100 CNG buses (with more planned) and plans for additional eco-friendly taxis. Progress on the concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
G. Security, Tourism, and Other Reforms
Improved security architecture enabling freer movement and business activity. Tourism projects including plans for a major zipline, cable car system, religious tourism sites, resorts, and repositioning of assets such as Hotel Presidential (major renovation advancing) and the International Conference Centre complex (including a new 5-star hotel component). Fiscal reforms have driven strong IGR growth (from around ₦26–37 billion range pre/early term to over ₦180 billion in 2024 and reports exceeding ₦400 billion in 2025). High capital expenditure ratios in successive budgets (often 80%+), Citizens’ Charter (Executive Order 001) for transparency, and institutional reforms including revenue automation and Treasury Single Account.
These are not campaign promises; they are documented deliveries and ongoing projects that the people of Enugu can see and experience. A comprehensive compendium of over 10,000 milestones was publicly presented in September 2026.
The strongest defence of any administration is not propaganda. It is a record that can withstand scrutiny.
5. UCHE NNAJI, WHERE IS YOUR ALTERNATIVE VISION?
This is the central question.
If you believe Peter Mbah’s approach to governance is wrong, what is your alternative?
If you believe Enugu’s economy should grow faster, present your economic model.
If you believe the administration’s education policies are inadequate, explain what you would change and how you would finance those changes.
If you believe the state’s infrastructure priorities are misplaced, identify the projects you would prioritise and explain why.
If you believe unemployment remains a serious challenge, present a credible job-creation strategy.
If you believe Enugu can be governed more effectively, demonstrate how your policies, institutions, and implementation plans would produce better outcomes.
The people deserve specifics, not slogans.
They deserve a vision supported by practical policies, realistic financing, measurable targets, and a credible implementation strategy.
*A serious political contender does not merely explain why another person should not lead. A serious contender demonstrates why the people should trust him to lead instead.*
That is the challenge before every politician seeking the confidence of Ndi Enugu.
6. ACCOUNTABILITY MUST APPLY TO EVERYONE
The public controversy surrounding Uche Nnaji’s educational credentials is also part of the wider conversation about accountability in public life.
The allegations involving his university degree and NYSC certificate have resulted in legal proceedings. Nnaji has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains subject to the judicial process.
The appropriate institutions and courts must determine the matters before them in accordance with the law.
Nevertheless, the broader democratic principle is clear: anyone seeking public trust must be prepared to answer legitimate questions about their record.
Accountability cannot be demanded selectively.
A politician who calls for scrutiny of another public figure must also accept scrutiny of his own background, decisions, and public conduct.
No politician should demand accountability from others while suggesting that his own record is beyond examination.
FINALLY: THE PEOPLE DESERVE SUBSTANCE, NOT NOISE
Uche Nnaji, your demand for the history of Peter Mbah presents an opportunity to have a serious conversation about leadership, accountability, and the development of Enugu State.
Peter Mbah’s professional journey encompasses business, formal education, public administration, and his current responsibilities as governor.
His administration has embarked on an ambitious programme spanning infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and economic reform. These initiatives deserve careful examination, independent verification, and continued public scrutiny.
Where the administration has delivered results, those results should be acknowledged. Where shortcomings exist, they should be identified and addressed. Where claims are made, evidence should be available.
That is how responsible political accountability works.
But the same standard must apply to every politician.
If you have a better vision for Enugu State, present it.
If you have evidence supporting your criticisms, provide it.
If you believe the people deserve a different direction, explain precisely what that direction looks like and how you intend to achieve it.
Ndi Enugu deserve more than a politician who can criticize. They deserve leaders who can think, plan, build, deliver, and account for their stewardship.
The future of Enugu State cannot be determined by who produces the loudest political video, launches the sharpest personal attack, or commands the most attention on social media.
It must be determined by the quality of leadership offered to its people.
The people deserve competence over theatrics, substance over sensationalism, accountability over empty promises, and results over rhetoric.
Governor Peter Mbah has continued to demonstrate that his administration’s promises are translating into meaningful progress. Those who seek to challenge him must demonstrate that they possess a credible alternative.
That is the standard of leadership Enugu deserves.
That is the standard Ndi Enugu should demand.
And that is the standard by which history will judge every politician who seeks their trust.
Ndi Enugu are watching. Let the facts speak, let the ideas compete, let accountability prevail, and let substance prevail over noise.
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