2027: Stop Shopping for Shortcuts in Abuja, Face Enugu People, Mbah Challenges Opposition
…Declares emergency on Nsukka-Adani Road, promises contractors before month-end
…To commence Edem-Nrobo-Abbi-Nimbo Road construction as rains recede
…Settles patients’ medical bills, promises ultrasound equipment for Adani maternity hospital
Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State has challenged his political opponents in the 2027 governorship election to stop what he described as their endless search for political shortcuts in Abuja and return to Enugu to present their programmes and development agenda to the electorate.
The governor, who accused his opponents of allegedly exploring ways to manipulate the electoral process rather than engaging the people on issues of governance, insisted that they lacked demonstrable records and concrete plans to offer the state.
Mbah spoke on Tuesday during his campaign tour of Ogboli and Igbo-Ano Development Centres in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, where he addressed enthusiastic crowds at Adani and Ugbene Ajima.
Taking a swipe at his opponents, the governor said they had failed to present any manifesto or articulate what they intended to achieve in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture and economic development.
According to him, rather than engage the electorate and explain their vision for the state, his opponents were allegedly preoccupied with seeking alternative routes to the Lion Building, the seat of the state government.
“In fact, they cannot even come here. You know where they are? They are somewhere in Abuja, busy looking for an alternative instead of coming to know you or even talk to you.
“They think that there is a shortcut. So, rather than come and face the people, talk to them about their records and maybe even tell them about their plans, they go about shopping for alternatives to the Lion Building,” he said.
Mbah further challenged the electorate to reject attempts to undermine their electoral mandate, urging them to use their votes to determine the state’s political future.
He also accused his political rivals of having no verifiable records of achievement, alleging that their political credentials were characterised by controversies surrounding certificate forgery.
“They are unable to face you because, one, they don’t have any record. Two, they don’t have any plans. So, their only option is to see whether there are ways they can manipulate your votes or your mandate,” he added.
The governor’s political remarks, however, were accompanied by major infrastructure announcements, particularly his declaration of an emergency on the Nsukka-Adani Road, which he described as a critical economic corridor requiring urgent government intervention.
Mbah disclosed that his administration would immediately mobilise contractors to the road, assuring residents that physical work would commence before the end of November.
“We have committed to doing the Nsukka-Adani Road. But I think that that road is now a matter of utmost urgency. We cannot wait for another season. We are sending contractors immediately to that road. We are going to fix that road. So, before the end of this month, we are going to move contractors there,” he pledged.
He also announced that construction work on the Edem-Nrobo-Abbi-Nimbo Road would commence in earnest as the rainy season gradually receded, expressing his administration’s determination to improve road connectivity and stimulate economic activities across the area.
Reflecting on his administration’s interventions in Uzo-Uwani, Mbah thanked the people for the support they gave him during the 2023 governorship election, expressing satisfaction that the security challenges previously confronting the area had been substantially addressed.
On education, the governor said his administration introduced the Smart Green Schools initiative to equip children with the technological skills and competencies required to compete in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy.
He explained that the traditional educational system was no longer sufficient to prepare young people for the demands of contemporary society, stressing the need to expose pupils to technology, innovation and wealth-creation opportunities from an early age.
“The skills that the kids need today are different from the skills we were exposed to 30, 40 years ago. Today, our children need technology to be able to work and to create wealth,” he said.
Mbah disclosed that four Smart Green Schools and four Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres had already been completed in the development centre, with one of each facility provided in every ward.
In a humanitarian intervention during the visit, the governor stopped at Our Lady Health of the Sick Maternity Hospital, popularly known as Arụ Ike Ndi Ọya, Adani, where he reportedly cleared the outstanding medical bills of patients, amounting to millions of naira.
He also promised to upgrade the hospital’s facilities to meet the standard of the state’s Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres and provide an ultrasound machine to enhance diagnostic services and improve maternal healthcare delivery.
The governor equally made a stopover at Santa Maria Nursery and Primary School, Adani, where he was warmly received by the pupils. He pledged to construct an additional classroom block and establish an innovation hub to promote learning, creativity and technological exposure among the children.
Speaking during the campaign tour, Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai; Senator Ikeje Asogwa; Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Barr. Chijioke Ezugwu; Director-General of the Enugu State APC Campaign Council, Chief Charles Mbah; and Nollywood actress, Rachael Okonkwo, popularly known as Nkoli Nwa Nsukka, commended the governor for the projects and interventions recorded across the state.
They urged the people to sustain their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC), expressing confidence in the administration’s development agenda.
The speakers acknowledged the development challenges inherited by the Mbah administration, noting that the governor had pursued various interventions within his first three years and a few months in office.
Other prominent APC leaders and government functionaries at the event included former Senator Chukwuka Utazi; Deputy Director-General of the Enugu APC Campaign Council, Dr Dan Shere; House of Representatives candidate for Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency, Hon. Cornell Onwubuya; Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr Patrick Ubru; and Member representing Uzo-Uwani State Constituency, Hon. Chukwuma Ekwueme.
The campaign tour formed part of the governor’s ongoing grassroots engagement across the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
