…Udeh, Ubosi, others rally support for continuity, cite landmark achievements of APC governments

The Enugu State Unity Forum, a prominent support group championing the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, Governor Peter Mbah and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, has commenced an aggressive grassroots and door-to-door mobilisation campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The mobilisation drive comes as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr. Victor Udeh; former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ubosi; and other key political stakeholders have urged members of the Forum to take the achievements of the Tinubu and Mbah administrations to the grassroots, describing their records in office as compelling reasons for their re-election.

Speaking during an engagement with members of the Forum in Enugu East Local Government Area, the group’s coordinator, Hon. Emeka Nwatu, said the Forum would focus on two major areas: voter education and political enlightenment, particularly sensitising residents to the achievements of the APC-led governments.

Nwatu explained that the group would concentrate its activities in rural communities, where members would educate eligible voters on how to cast their ballots correctly to avoid invalidating their votes.

He also urged eligible voters who were yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to do so in preparation for the elections, expressing confidence that the APC would record a sweeping victory in 2027.

Speaking on behalf of the six local government council chairmen in Enugu East Senatorial District, the Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, Engr. Beloved-Dan Anike, described the APC as an increasingly dominant political platform in the state and expressed confidence in its electoral prospects.

Anike likened the APC to an ocean capable of producing political heavyweights, noting that the coming together of different political interests under the Enugu State Unity Forum had strengthened the party’s unity and electoral prospects.

He described the APC as the political platform capable of taking Enugu State and Nigeria in the right direction, urging residents to identify with the party and support its candidates across the board.

Anike also reaffirmed the commitment of the six council chairmen to the re-election of Tinubu and Mbah.

In his remarks, Ubosi said Governor Mbah’s performance had made political mobilisation considerably easier, pointing to the administration’s delivery on its promises.

He noted that the volume of projects executed within three years was too extensive to be fully enumerated at a single gathering.

The former Speaker maintained that opposing the governor’s re-election despite the visible development across the state would amount to working against Enugu’s progress. He expressed confidence that the APC would emerge victorious in the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.

Also speaking, Barr. Udeh expressed delight at the large turnout of supporters, describing it as an indication of the party’s growing political strength in the state.

Recounting the political journey that culminated in Governor Mbah’s emergence in 2023, he recalled the role played by the Ifemeluma Group and stakeholders from Enugu West Senatorial District in advocating for Enugu East to produce the next governor in the spirit of equity.

He said Mbah distinguished himself during the campaign by becoming the first governorship candidate in a long time to publicly present his manifesto at Godfrey Okoye University. He added that the governor had not only fulfilled his campaign promises but had also exceeded expectations.

Udeh described Mbah’s performance as exceptional, drawing parallels with the development-oriented leadership of the late Premier of Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Michael Okpara.

He urged residents to reject what he described as empty political promises and remain focused on candidates with demonstrable records of performance.

Highlighting the administration’s achievements, the Chief of Staff listed the establishment of 268 Smart Green Schools across the state’s electoral wards, offering tuition-free education, free school uniforms and daily meals for pupils.

He also cited the construction of 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, the settlement of inherited gratuity liabilities, extensive road construction and rehabilitation projects, as well as the proposed 10-kilometre-per-ward road programme, under which communities would determine their priority roads.

Udeh further highlighted ongoing road projects, including the dualisation of Penoks Road and the Abakpa-Nike-Ugwogo-Ekwegbe-Opi-Nsukka Road, as well as infrastructure interventions in Emene and Trans-Ekulu.

He attributed several federal infrastructure projects in the state, including the Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Onitsha expressways, the Ninth Mile-Makurdi Road, the Emene Flyover, the Abakpa Junction Flyover and the New Artisan Twin Bridges, to the improved collaboration between the state and federal governments.

He also disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the commencement of a gas pipeline project from Egbema in Imo State through Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi, describing it as a major intervention that could address infrastructure deficits that have constrained industrial development in the South-East.

Calling on residents to support the re-election of Tinubu, Mbah and other APC candidates, Udeh stressed that sustained collaboration between the federal and state governments would accelerate development and deliver greater dividends of democracy to the region.

Also speaking, the Secretary of Enugu East Local Government Area, Barr. Uchenna Mbaeke, assured the governor and the party leadership that the grassroots mobilisation machinery was already firmly in place.

He said members of the Forum had been strategically positioned across electoral wards and polling units to secure victory for the APC in 2027.

Mbaeke added that Mbah’s re-election would guarantee further development, consolidate the gains already recorded and advance the prospects of a better Nigeria.

The Enugu Unity Forum, Enugu East Zone, organised by Mbaeke, brought together key political stakeholders, community leaders and grassroots mobilisers under a common platform to advance the re-election campaigns of the President, the governor and other APC candidates in the state.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed the escape of two convicted inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okene, Kogi State.

The escapees were identified as Samson David, convicted of theft, and Salvation Moro, convicted of armed robbery.

The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2026, with the two inmates said to have escaped from the facility through its back fence.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Service Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, JN Osuji, confirmed the incident, saying the NCoS had commenced necessary measures in collaboration with relevant security agencies to ensure the prompt recapture of the fleeing inmates.

The confirmation followed an earlier police situation report from the Okene Division, which disclosed that the Officer-in-Charge of the custodial centre alerted the police to the escape through a telephone call at about 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The police report also indicated that photographs of the escaped inmates were attached to the communication to aid their identification and facilitate efforts to apprehend them.

The NCoS said it was awaiting a comprehensive report on the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the escape.

According to the Service, the Controller-General of Corrections has directed a thorough investigation to identify any operational lapses and ensure that appropriate action is taken where necessary.

It added that efforts to trace and rearrest the inmates were ongoing, with security operatives expected to intensify the search.

The Service assured members of the public that the situation was receiving the necessary attention and pledged to provide further updates as verified information becomes available.

It also appealed for public understanding and cooperation as efforts continue to return the two convicted inmates to custody.

Canada has made its Rural Community Immigration Pilot a permanent programme, creating a long-term pathway for skilled foreign workers seeking to live and work in smaller communities facing persistent labour shortages.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lena Metlege Diab, announced the decision on Monday, November 9, 2026, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

According to a statement published on the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the programme will initially retain the 14 communities currently participating in the pilot, with plans to expand to additional communities in the future.

The employer- and community-led initiative is designed to address labour shortages in rural Canada by connecting foreign workers and their families with local employers and community support systems, while encouraging their long-term settlement.

Announcing the decision, Diab said the government recognised the critical role rural communities play in Canada’s economy and the difficulties they face in recruiting workers.

“Our government understands that rural communities play a critical role in powering Canada’s economy. At the same time, many face real challenges finding the workers they need. That’s why we’re transitioning our successful rural immigration pilot into a permanent program—helping smaller communities attract and retain essential workers who deliver services and drive economic growth.

“We appreciate that a one-size-fits-all approach to immigration doesn’t work for rural Canada, and this permanent pathway is one part of our work to ensure that communities of all sizes can share in the benefits of responsible, sustainable immigration,” she said.

Under Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, 5,500 admission spaces have been allocated to the permanent Rural Community Immigration Program.

The government said the initiative would complement its broader efforts to stabilise immigration admissions, reduce the temporary resident population and retain skilled workers already living and contributing to communities across the country.

What the Programme Has Achieved

IRCC said the permanent programme builds on the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which operated between 2019 and 2024, and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, introduced in 2025.

More than 2,800 employers participated in the earlier Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, resulting in the admission of over 12,500 candidates and their family members into smaller and rural communities across Canada.

The department said preliminary results from the current programme showed that newcomers had helped address labour shortages in key sectors, including healthcare, education, sales and services, in 2025 and 2026.

Between January 2025 and August 2026, participating communities vetted and designated more than 1,950 trusted employers experiencing persistent labour shortages that could not be filled locally.

These employers subsequently issued more than 4,700 job offers and community recommendations.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Sean Fraser, said the programme had helped businesses in Pictou County retain workers while encouraging newcomers to establish permanent roots in the community.

“We’ve seen the difference this program makes here in Pictou County. It’s helping local businesses keep workers they need, people who’ve become our neighbours and friends, and want to build their lives here.

“We’re one of 14 communities that have helped make this pilot work. Now we’re making it permanent, so businesses can count on it when they can’t fill jobs locally, and these families can keep calling our community home,” Fraser said.

Similarly, the Secretary of State for Rural Development, Buckley Belanger, said the programme recognised the distinct labour needs of rural, northern and remote communities.

He noted that strategic immigration pathways could help address workforce shortages in areas where available Canadian workers could not fill existing vacancies.

The Chief Executive Officer of Pictou County Partnership, Jason Guidry, also said the programme had strengthened the local workforce, supported business growth and helped welcome new residents into the community.