The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has released an updated list of its Campaign Council.

In a press release at the weekend, the state chairman of the party, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, and the state secretary, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie, said the update had become imperative as more critical stakeholders across the state had expressed their readiness to be part of the team to deliver President Bola Tinubu, Governor Peter Mbah and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

“So, we are happy to welcome them on board as the party grows from strength to strength for a landslide victory come 2027,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, a perusal of the list showed that nothing had changed in the leadership of the Campaign Council. There were mainly additions to the membership cadre and minor housekeeping.

The Campaign Council, comprising 51 directorates, is still chaired by the governor of the state, Dr Peter Mbah. The vice chairmen are the deputy governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; the Deputy National Chairman, APC (South); the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; the Chairman of the party in the state, Dr Martin Chukwunweike; and the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia.

The Council is also headlined by an Advisory Council comprising a former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; a former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; a former military governor of old Anambra State and Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (Rtd.); a former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; a former Minister of Information and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2023 governorship election in the state, Mr Frank Nweke Jr.; business mogul Prince Arthur Eze; Senator Chuka Utazi; and former deputy governors Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, Bishop Ralph Nwoye, Dr Sunday Onyebuchi and Chief Okechukwu Itanyi, among other high-profile personalities.

Chief Charlie Mbah is the Director-General, while Dr Eric Oluedo served as the Secretary-General.

Senator Osita Ngwu, Senator Ikeje Asogwa and Senator Kelvin Chukwu are the Coordinators of the Campaign Council in Enugu West, Enugu North and Enugu East, respectively.

Deacon Okey Ogbodo, Dr Dan Shere and Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye are the Deputy Campaign Directors-General for Enugu East Senatorial District, Enugu North Senatorial District and Enugu West Senatorial District, respectively.

Barr. Steve Oruruo is the Campaign Spokesperson and Director of the Public Communication Committee, with Dr Austin Okolie as co-spokesperson and Dr Malachy Agbo as Secretary.

Mazi Uche Anichukwu and Dan Nwomeh, both drawn from the Governor’s media team, head the Directorate of New Media and Strategic Communication and the Directorate of Mainstream Media, respectively. Dr Collins Ogbu is the Secretary of the former, while Dr Reuben Onyishi is the Secretary of the latter.

Barr. Victor Udeh leads the Administration Directorate, while Dr Ben Nwoye and Arc. Uche Nwatu are the Director and Co-Director of the Fundraising Committee, respectively.

A former Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla (Rtd.), chairs the Security Directorate, while a former Inspector-General of Police, Ogbono Onovo (Rtd.), is the Secretary.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology is in charge of the Directorate of Government Appointees Coordination (Federal and State), with Prof. Chidiebere Onyia as Secretary, while a former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odoh, heads Inter-Party Affairs.

The APC State Woman Leader, Mrs Esther Edeh, is at the helm of the Women Mobilisation Directorate, with the APC South East Woman Leader, Dr Oby Ajih, as Co-Director and the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, as Secretary.

Senator Chuka Utazi heads the Directorate of Parliamentary Mobilisation, with a former Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, as Secretary, while Senator Ben Collins Ndu is the Director of Contact and Mobilisation, with Barr. Peter Okonkwo as Co-Director and Mrs Lovelyn Obioma Nweze appointed as Secretary.

Barr. Victor Udeh is the Director of the Directorate of Election Planning and Monitoring, which has the Political Adviser to the Governor, Chief Frank Anioma, as Secretary.

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, leads the Directorate of Welfare, which has Barr. Mrs Amaka Alinta as Secretary, while Dame Rita Mbah is the Director of Event Management, with Ifeoma Azike as Secretary.

The Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Charles Egumgbe, leads the Directorate of Monitoring, which has a former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, as Secretary.

Engr. Uchenna Nwobodo is in charge of the Directorate of Works and Venue, with Engr. Christian Enebe as Secretary.

Hon. USA Igweshi has returned to his 2023 role as Director of the Directorate of Support Groups, while Dr Chiedozie Nwafor will serve as Secretary.

Nollywood star Rachael Okonkwo, popularly known as Nkoli Nwa Nsukka, is the Director of the Directorate of Creativity and Entertainment, while the General Manager of the Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Monday Diamond, heads the directorate’s secretariat.

The Town Unions Coordination Directorate is headed by Chief Arinze Ogbodo, while the secretariat will be manned by Hon. Charles Chime.

READ UPDATED LIST BELOW:

ENUGU APC UPDATED CAMPAIGN COUNCIL LIST

No no no Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, said that President Bola Tinubu has travelled over 260 days outside the country, but can’t spend 36 days to go round the states of the federation to campaign for next year’s general election.

President Tinubu had said that he may not campaign in all the 36 states of the country for next year’s general election because governance also require his attention.

Obi who declared himself as the leading presidential candidate for the 2027 election, said the President does not have the energy and competence to run the country and therefore should pack out of Aso Rock, go home and rest.

He stated this on Thursday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, during a town hall political summit.

“I want President Tinubu to come to Abakaliki to tell the people what he has done in the past three years. I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell you what he used the money he has been borrowing to do for the past three years.

The former governor of Anambra state urged the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), to made himself available in Ebonyi state to tell Nigerians what he has used their monies he borrowed to do.

“President Tinubu has stayed over 260 days out of Nigeria yet, he cannot spend up to 36 days to go round Nigeria to tell the people what he has been doing for the past three years. We will not do that.

“President Tinubu does not have the competence to run Nigeria. He does not have the energy to run Nigeria. He should pack his things, go home and rest”, he said

Obi warned against dividing South East and declared that he was seeking votes of the electorate as a Nigerian who is eminently qualified for the presidency.

“Let nobody divide the South East. I don’t want the people of Ebonyi to vote for me because I am from the South East. I don’t want you to vote for me because I am an Igbo person.

“My dear people, I want you to vote for me because I am qualified to be the President of this country. I want you to vote for me because I am the leading candidate”, he opined

He announced to declare emergency on hunger, insecurity, education, corruption, health, power and other challenges confronting the nation and threatened to jail anyone who embezzles public fund if he emerges the President.

“We will declare emergency on about seven items. Number one is that we must unite Nigeria. We don’t want people to be around Nigeria saying, I am Igbo, I am Yoruba, I am Hausa, I am this, I am that.

“We must unite this country, our pride should not be consideration of employment, this or that. We will operate federal character for all the jobs we have. So, we must unite the country.

“We will declare emergency in the security of lives and property in Nigeria. We will deal with insecurity decisively. Nobody will be in charge, we will be in charge.

“Let me assure today, if I am President of this country, kids come to school and somebody takes them into the bush, we will be in the bush with such person. They will not be there alone, we will be there with those kids. We will defend the country because we are going to equip the security agencies to make sure that our country is safe.

“We will declare emergency in corruption. I will fight corruption like nobody has fought it before. Public money must be used for public good, nobody will steal our money again. If you do it, you will go to jail starting from the President.

“We will declare emergency in education.

“We have over 18 million children out of school, we must reduce it. We will declare emergency on hunger. We have vast lands, our farmers must go back to farm, be able to cultivate, give us what we eat and be able to export. We will do that.

“We will declare emergency in health. We must have a functional healthcare in all the political ward of Nigeria. Every ward must have it, we have the resources to do it,” Obi stated.

Peter Obi and President Tinubu

…Recounts challenges inherited in 2023, outlines progress in security, infrastructure, education, economic development

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has rendered an account of his manifesto performance to the people of Enugu State, saying his administration had made substantial progress in restoring Enugu’s position as a place where people want to live, work, invest and visit.

Mbah recalled that he presented his manifesto at the same venue in October 2022 ahead of the 2023 governorship election, saying the Manifesto Performance Update was in keeping faith with the Citizens Charter (Executive Order 001), which he executed upon his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

Speaking at the event themed “Our Commitment to Ndi Enugu: The Journey So Far,” which took place at the Peter Mbah Law Auditorium at Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, on Thursday, Mbah recalled the state of affairs at the time he assumed office and outlined his government’s achievements, development priorities and long-term economic ambitions.

“Think back to May 2023, when we first assumed office. Think about the condition of our state, the difficulties we faced, and the expectations we had.

“There was a time when Monday was no longer an ordinary working day in Enugu. Shops remained closed. Roads were deserted. Parents were afraid to send their children to school. People who depended on their daily earnings had to surrender an entire day’s income because others had decided they should remain indoors. That was the reality we inherited.

“Our roads were in poor condition. Public services had deteriorated. Many schools were struggling to provide the kind of education our children deserved. Our health facilities needed substantial investment. And Enugu, a city that had once been the natural centre of commercial, political and cultural life across the region, was gradually losing that position.

“Businesses were looking elsewhere. Major events were moving to other cities. Our airport had barely two incoming flights a day,” he stated.

He, however, said his administration had guided the state to significant progress, highlighting achievements in health, education, tourism, agriculture, transportation and other sectors, and their connections to his 2023 campaign promise to eradicate poverty and grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

“Today, people are going about their business with a freedom that had been denied to them for far too long.

“A trader can plan a full working week. Children can attend school. Businesses can receive customers, move goods and keep their employees working. That security gave us a foundation upon which other changes could begin,” he said.

“That is how economic development begins to reach into households and communities.

“The changes are visible, and the scale of our ambition is becoming clearer. We should take pride in what has been achieved, while recognising how much remains to be done,” he maintained.

He urged the people to seize the opportunity of the moment by rallying around him to continue with the task of building a prosperous future for the state.

“This is one moment in the long history of Enugu. This is a moment of extraordinary possibility for our people. And I believe this is the moment we must seize. The work we have begun needs the commitment of all of us.

“I ask you to bring your ideas, your skills, your enterprise and your experience into the life of our state. Take an interest in what is happening in your community. Help us identify problems and develop practical solutions.

“We have the opportunity to leave something of lasting value to those who come after us: a state with stronger institutions, a more productive economy, better opportunities for its children and communities whose people can take pride in what they have achieved together. That is the Enugu I want us to build,” he concluded.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Prof. Christian Anieke, recalled that Mbah had presented his manifesto at the same venue in 2022, ahead of the 2023 governorship election, which he subsequently won.

Anieke commended the governor for returning to the university to render an account of his stewardship nearly four years into his administration.

He urged other political leaders entrusted with public office to emulate the practice of returning to the people to explain their performance and account for their promises.

The vice-chancellor said the accomplishments of the Mbah administration were evident and verifiable, arguing that many of the projects and interventions were visible to residents.

The event drew the attendance of a cross-section of the society, including members of the academia, students, civil society organisations, business owners, professional bodies, and media, among others.