…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.

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has welcomed a court judgment in his dispute with Governor Hope Uzodimma over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West, describing the ruling as a victory for justice.

Speaking to journalists after the judgment, Okorocha said the court had upheld his position in the dispute, adding that any party dissatisfied with the decision was free to appeal.

“All the court agreed with me. But if they want to appeal, let them appeal. I’ll tackle them on it,” he said.

The former governor alleged that the conduct of the senatorial primary was marred by irregularities, claiming that results from the 12 local government areas were entered by a single individual.

He also questioned alleged discrepancies between ward-level results and figures recorded during local government collation, claiming that some ward result sheets contained no scores, despite figures appearing in the collation results.

Okorocha said he had chosen to remain silent while allegations of forgery circulated, insisting that he preferred to await the court’s decision.

He called on the police to investigate those allegedly responsible for forging documents rather than target individuals he described as innocent.

“The police should go after those who forged and not go to an innocent man who presented a document,” he said.

Okorocha also commended the presiding judge for what he described as a clear and objective assessment of the case. He expressed appreciation to his legal team and a forensic expert who, according to him, had encountered difficulties over his involvement in the matter.

Describing the judgment as evidence that justice could not be bought, the former governor said the decision would help restore public confidence in the judiciary.

The dispute arose from the APC senatorial primary for Imo West, in which Okorocha challenged the process that produced Uzodimma as the party’s candidate.

The allegations concerning the primary and the disputed documents remain claims attributed to Okorocha.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday nullified the nomination of Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo as the 2027 All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, ordered Uzodinma to stop parading himself as the candidate on the grounds that he did not win the May 18 primary election conducted by the APC and monitored by INEC.

Justice Egwuatu held that evidence presented before the court proved that former Gov. Rochas Okorocha actually won majority of the votes cast at the poll.

The judge ordered that Okorocha should be declared winner of the election.

He also ordered the APC to forward Okorocha’s name as candidate of the party for the 2027 general elections for Imo West Senatorial District.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okorocha, in the suit, had challenged the INEC over the publication of Uzodinma’s name as APC’s candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.

In the originating summon filed on Aug. 13 and marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, the former lawmaker joined INEC, APC and Uzodinma as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

The applicant, who is also a two-term governor of Imo, posed five questions for determination.

He prayed the court to determine whether INEC was not bound by the reports of its officers who monitored the APC primaries duly conducted on May 18 for the nomination of its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District for 2027 general election in which he emerged the winner.

He also prayed the court to determine that having regard to the provision of Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the publication of Uzodinma’s name by INEC on Aug. 1 as winner of APC primary for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 poll was not wrongful.

Okorocha, therefore, sought 10 reliefs should his questions be answered in his favour.

The ex-govenor prayed the court to declare that by virtue of provisions of Sections 65(1) (b) and 285(14) (a)&(b) of the 1999 Constitution read with Sections 29, 32, 33, 84 and 88(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as the APC’s Rules and Guidelines regulating the conduct of its national primary election, it was unlawful for the party to forward Uzodinma’s name to INEC.

He urged the court to declare that it was unconstitutional for INEC to publish, as done by it on Aug. 18, Uzodinma’s name as APC’s candidate when it was not him that emerged as the winner of the primary election conducted on May 18 May.

He sought an order setting aside or voiding the publication made by INEC on Aug. 1 which declared Uzodinma as the person that won the highest votes in the APC’s primary election held on May 18 to contest as the preferred candidate for Imo West Senatorial District come 2027.

Okorocha prayed the court for an order directing INEC to recognise and publish his name as the duly nominated candidate of APC to contest the poll.

He also sought an order prohibiting Uzodinma whether by himself or through the APC or anyone, howsoever named, from parading himself as the nominated candidate of the party to contest the election.

He equally sought an order awarding cost against the respondents as the noble court may deem appropriate in all the circumstances of the suit.

In the affidavit attached to the suit which was deposed to by Amen Rochas, he said Okorocha is his biological father.

He said by virtue of his position as Okorocha’s Personal Assistant on Political Matters, he was very conversant with the facts and circumstances stated by him.

He said the applicant (Okorocha), who was born on Sept. 22, 1962, is a registered, financial cardcarrying member of APC.

According to him, the applicant is from Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State in Imo West Senatorial District.

He said: “From 2011 to 2019, the applicant was the Executive Governor of Imo State.

“From 2019 to 2023, he was a Senator representing the Imo West Senatorial District in the National Assembly which office is a paid employment of the Legislative Arm of Government of the Federa! Republic of Nigeria.”

Amen said early this year, the APC advertised its schedule of activities and timetable for the conduct of its primaries that would lead to the emergence of its flag bearers in Imo for various political offices to be conducted by INEC ahead of 2027.

He said pursuant to APC’s advertorial, Okorocha expressed interest to be nominated as the party’s flagbearer to the Senate for the Imo West Senatorial Zone.

He said he purchased the Expression of Interest Form (EoI) and the Nomination Form which were duly completed by him and by his nominees as required thereof and submitted to APC.

Amen averred that Uzodinma is also a member of APC also from the same senatorial district and the current governor of Imo.

He stated that Uzodinma’s tenure in office as governor will expire at midnight of Jan. 14, 2028, having taken oath of office and sworn into office on the Jan. 15, 2024.

He said Uzodinma whose tenure in office as governor would not have expired by the year 2027 when the Senate will be inaugurated after the general election in 2027, also purchased an EoI and nomination forms for party’s senatorial candidate.

He said his father, Uzodinma and many other APC aspirants were all screened and cleared to participate in the direct primaries.

Amen averred that on May 17, contrary to extant electoral and party’s guidelines, the APC National Working Committee (NWC), through its National Organising Secretary, issued a notice, warning all state’s chairmen of its National Assembly Primary Election Committee not to engage in any press briefing or announce the outcome of the primaries.

He said the NWC directed that the results should be forwarded to the party’ s national secretariat as same would be announced at the national secretariat

He alleged that the direct primary election was conducted by APC on May 18 and his father emerged victorious by scoring 150,780 while Uzodinma scored 102, 158 votes.

He said after the poll in which Okorocha allegedly won, APC wrote two letters to INEC reporting on the conduct of the primaries with the attached list of contestants and the outcome of the primaries.

Amen said the report of the outcome of the election was made and forwarded by the Head of Department, Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) for the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC for Imo to the commission’s chairman in Abuja.

He averred that the outcome of the party’s primary election as submitted by it to INEC, in respect of the Imo West Senatorial Zone, was not made public upon receipt by the electoral umpire until Aug. 1.

He said to Okorocha’s shock and chagrin, INEC, rather than publishing the true outcome of the poll which his father won as confirmed by the commission’s own reports, it strangely published Uzodinma’s name as the winner.

But Uzodinma and APC disagreed with Okorocha’s arguments.

The governor and the party, in their separate preliminary objections, prayed the court to dismiss the suit for being statue barred, having failed to comply with Section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution.

Robort Emukpoeruo, SAN, who appeared for APC and Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, who represented Uzodinma, submitted that the suit was filed outside the 14-day time limit prescribed by the law.

In the counter affidavit deposed to by Lucky Ajokperiniovo on the governor’s behalf, said he was part of the election committee constituted by the party to conduct the May 18 primary election in the state.

He said the votes were recorded, collated and duly transmitted from the voting venues at the wards, the respective LGAs collation centres, and then delivered to the senatorial district returning officer who finally collated and declared the results.

Ajokperiniovo averred that while Uzodinma won the Imo West Senatorial District poll, Alex Mbata won the Imo East Senatorial District election and Sen. Patrick Ndubueze was declared the winner of Imo North Senatorial District poll.

According to him, the report of the election was duly signed by all the members of the electoral committee, on 18th May, 2026.

He said no person, especially the aspirants, was in doubt as to the result of the election on that day.

“From the conduct of the election, I am aware that the 3rd respondent (Uzodinma) emerged victorious with 230,464 votes, while the applicant (Okorocha) scored 1, 098 votes,” he said.

Ajokperiniovo said though an appeal committee was set up on the election, the panel did not receive any petition in respect of the outcome of the primary.

He submitted that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the APC’s Constitution and guidelines and the Electoral Act, 2026.

The official, who alleged that Okorocha had grossly and deliberately misrepresented what transpired, said Uzodinma “is not now occupying a paid employment of the legislative arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

INEC’s lawyer, M. A. Umar, also adopted their counter affidavit in opposition to Okorocha’s suit.

INEC, in its counter affidavit, said its officials monitored the election and submitted a report and that the report indicated that Uzodinma scored the highest number of votes and was declared the winner.

The commission said that it did not receive any complaint from any of the aspirants in respect of the poll.

Gyang Dung, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer, who deposed to the INEC’s counter affidavit, denied signing any of the exhibits Okorocha tendered as evidence before the court. (NAN)