Gov. Peter Mbah and Sen. Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District, have attributed the Enugu State’s support for President Bola TInubu’s re-election to Federal Government’s massive infrastructural investment in South East.
The duo gave the explanation on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council at the International Conference Centre, Enugu.
Inaugurating the council, Mbah said the decision to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition was not based on blind loyalty but on the President’s commitment to the development of the South-East.
According to him, the establishment of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), ongoing federal road projects and investments in aviation were evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to the region.
The governor recalled that the idea of establishing the SEDC had existed since the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970 but only became a reality under Tinubu’s administration.
He noted that in spite of the relatively low number of votes Tinubu received from the South-East during the 2023 presidential election, the President had continued to demonstrate commitment to the region’s development.
“In 2023, we never supported him in the South-East. He got perhaps less than six per cent of the total votes from the region, and he still won the election.
“But he has kept faith with the South East. He has not sidelined the South East.
“Today, we have the South East Development Commission, a platform that is already facilitating major investments, including the proposed gas pipeline that will connect cities across the region,” he said.
He also cited the ongoing rehabilitation of the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways, as well as other federal road projects, as major interventions that would improve connectivity and economic activities.
Mbah further commended the President’s commitment to the development of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, particularly plans for a cargo terminal and the full operation of its international wing.
According to the governor, the cargo terminal, expected to be ready in the first quarter of 2027, will reduce the cost of transporting goods from Lagos to the South-East.
Mbah maintained that a strategic political alliance with the Federal Government was necessary to advance the economic and political interests of the South-East.
Speaking on the party’s preparedness for the 2027 elections, the governor disclosed that the APC had established party structures in all the 4,145 polling units across Enugu State.
He charged members of the campaign council to take the party’s message to every community, ward and polling unit, warning against complacency.
In his goodwill message, Ngwu said the Federal Government’s ongoing road construction and rehabilitation projects across the South-East provided sufficient reasons for the people to support Tinubu’s re-election.
The senator identified the Enugu-Makurdi, Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Ebonyi roads as some of the projects receiving federal attention.
He said the projects had significantly improved transportation and connectivity, while reducing the difficulties previously experienced by motorists and other road users.
Ngwu urged members of the campaign council to base their campaigns on verifiable achievements rather than mere political slogans.
Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Kingsley Udeh, urged members of the council to prioritise Tinubu’s re-election alongside the victory of other APC candidates.
Udeh said Mbah’s position as the South-East Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council placed enormous responsibility on Enugu State to deliver victory for the President.
According to him, Enugu, being the political and administrative capital of the South-East, should lead by example in mobilising support for the party.
“The greatest task before us is to deliver Mr President.
In his remarks, Chief Ben Nwoye, Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, described the composition of the campaign council as extraordinary.
Nwoye said the council reflected the growing strength and unity of the party in Enugu State, with prominent political figures drawn from different political backgrounds.
Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated council, its Director-General, Mr Charles Mbah, thanked the governor and the party leadership for the confidence reposed on them.
He described the appointment as a call to greater service, commitment and responsibility.
Mbah said the achievements of the governor across various sectors had provided the campaign council with sufficient materials to engage voters at the grassroots.
The director-general pledged to build an inclusive, organised, result-oriented and issue-based campaign that would reach every senatorial district, local government area, ward, community and polling unit in the state. (NAN)
