DISSECTING THE MOMENTOUS INAUGURATION OF THE 2027 ENUGU STATE APC CAMPAIGN COUNCIL AHEAD OF THE 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS
By Samson Ezea
The recent inauguration of the 2027 Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council was not merely another political gathering; it was a powerful demonstration of political organisation, party unity, grassroots mobilisation and collective determination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It was a defining moment that brought together the crème de la crème of Enugu State’s political establishment, party leaders, stakeholders, supporters and grassroots mobilisers under one political platform, united by a common objective: to consolidate the achievements of the APC-led administrations and secure victory at the polls.
The atmosphere was electrifying, the crowd overwhelming, and the enthusiasm palpable. From the impressive turnout to the colourful displays of party solidarity, the event projected a strong sense of purpose and political confidence.
Beyond the ceremony itself, the inauguration provided an opportunity for the party to articulate its political message, showcase the achievements of its administrations and formally activate the machinery for the 2027 electioneering campaigns.
Indeed, it was a gathering that combined political symbolism with strategic mobilisation, setting the tone for the campaigns ahead.
The atmosphere was agog with excitement and political enthusiasm. The weather was favourable, although sunny, while the iconic International Conference Centre, Independence Layout, Enugu, wore a new look in readiness for the epoch-making event.
The decorations were classic, alluring and scintillating. All Progressives Congress banners and flexes adorned strategic locations, from the entrance of the venue to the main auditorium of the International Conference Centre, where the event took place.
The parking lots were fully occupied even before the commencement of the event. Security personnel and Motor Traffic Officers (MTOs) had a hectic day controlling the movement and parking of vehicles, particularly along the road leading to the entrance of the venue.
Despite the short notice, attendance was massive and surpassed expectations. Both inside and outside the venue, party faithful, stakeholders and leaders were seen exchanging banter and pleasantries, as is customary at political gatherings of this nature. The people’s spirits were high, and their optimism was evident in their countenances and facial expressions.
It was, indeed, a gathering of the crème de la crème of Enugu State’s political establishment, comprising leaders, stakeholders and followers who constitute the 2027 Enugu State APC Campaign Council.
The event marked the formal inauguration of a star-studded, inclusive, elaborate, grassroots-oriented and carefully selected team of leaders and members entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the APC’s campaigns ahead of the official flag-off of electioneering activities in the weeks ahead.
3:00 p.m. was the official time scheduled for the commencement of the event. However, long before then, the main auditorium of the International Conference Centre, with a seating capacity of over 5,000, had been filled to capacity, leaving many attendees outside the venue.
Providing musical entertainment and keeping the audience engaged with his sonorous campaign rhythms and songs was the popular Ulaga Music Band, alongside the renowned master of ceremonies and immediate past Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area, Hon. Aka Eze Aka.
At different corners of the main auditorium, various political groups, particularly women, intermittently chanted political songs and praises, adding colour and excitement to the occasion.
The dignitaries and other attendees settled into their seats, patiently enjoying the comfortable atmosphere of the event centre while anticipating the arrival of the governor and the commencement of the programme.
At about 3:45 p.m., the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, sauntered into the venue alongside his entourage amid a standing ovation, thunderous applause and enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
He acknowledged the cheering supporters and exchanged handshakes with dignitaries seated in the front rows before settling down.
The national anthem was immediately played, after which the former Deputy Governor, Hon. Pastor Ralph Nwoye, offered the opening prayer.
The speeches delivered at the event by the Enugu State APC Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu; Deputy National Chairman of the APC (South), Hon. Ben Nwoye; Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Mrs. Ngozi Enih; former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West Senatorial District; Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; and other speakers conveyed a clear and consistent message.
The party faithful were urged to embark on issue-based campaigns, taking the message of the verifiable achievements and landmark accomplishments of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC-led administrations at all levels to the electorate, particularly at the grassroots.
The speakers also challenged party members to counter what they described as misinformation, mudslinging, falsehoods and propaganda being propagated by opposition-sponsored social media operatives against the APC-led governments.
They emphasised the need for effective communication, grassroots engagement and factual presentation of the administrations’ achievements as critical components of the party’s strategy for the 2027 elections.
The speakers took time to enumerate several projects and achievements of Governor Mbah’s administration, including numerous completed and ongoing road projects, the development of 260 primary healthcare centres, Smart Green Schools, the establishment of Enugu Air, the dualisation of the Ugwuogo-Nike-Opi Road and the 43-kilometre Owo-Ubahu-Amakanu-Ikem Road, among other infrastructural interventions.
These projects were presented as evidence of the administration’s commitment to infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic development across the state.
One of the major highlights of the event was the motion for the endorsement and adoption of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for second terms in office.
The motion was moved by Senator Osita Ngwu and adopted by the attendees amid thunderous affirmation.
The endorsement underscored the position of the party’s leaders and stakeholders that both administrations should be given another opportunity to consolidate their policies, programmes and development initiatives.
The gathering also projected Governor Mbah as the APC’s leading contender for the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State, while speakers dismissed the capacity of opposition contenders to match his administration’s record of performance.
Governor Peter Mbah formally inaugurated the All Progressives Congress Campaign Council for Enugu State, expressing strong confidence in the party’s prospects of securing a resounding victory in all the 2027 elections.
The Campaign Council comprises 51 directorates and is chaired by the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
The Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; Deputy National Chairman of the APC (South), Hon. Ben Nwoye; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; State APC Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike; and Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, serve as vice-chairmen.
The council is also supported by an Advisory Council comprising distinguished political leaders, statesmen and influential personalities.
Among them are former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; former military governor of old Anambra State and former Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (Rtd.); former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; former Minister of Information and 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu 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 was appointed Director-General of the Campaign Council, while Dr. Eric Oluedo serves as Secretary-General.
Senator Osita Ngwu, Senator Ikeje Asogwa and Senator Kelvin Chukwu were appointed coordinators of the Campaign Council for Enugu West, Enugu North and Enugu East Senatorial Districts, respectively.
The composition of the council reflects the party’s intention to draw on the experience, influence and organisational capacity of political leaders across the three senatorial districts, while extending its campaign structure to local governments, wards, communities and polling units.
Speaking at the event, Governor Mbah expressed confidence that his administration had justified the mandate entrusted to it by the people of Enugu State in 2023.
He also acknowledged the importance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, which, according to him, had helped stabilise macroeconomic indicators and made more funds available to state governments for the implementation of impactful development projects.
The governor, therefore, charged party faithful to campaign vigorously on the achievements of his administration and those of the President, urging them to identify openly and confidently with the APC.
He maintained that the opposition had little to offer beyond propaganda and urged party members to take the administration’s message directly to the people.
Mbah disclosed that he was preparing to embark on an extensive campaign tour of all 68 development centres in Enugu State. He also announced plans to commission at least two projects in each of the state’s 260 political wards.
Recalling the state’s recent performance in development and business reforms, the governor cited the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Momentum Index, which ranked Enugu as the fastest-improving state among the 33 states assessed, with a Momentum Score of +1.15.
He also noted that Enugu State had improved significantly in the area of Ease of Doing Business, moving from 36th position out of 37 subnational entities in 2023 to sixth position nationally in 2025, according to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) report.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the forthcoming campaigns, Mbah declared:
“So, you should be proud of Enugu. You should be unapologetically APC. I am really excited because we are going to go to all the 68 Development Centres. I will personally visit all the Development Centres. I will go to the markets with you.
“The people of Enugu cannot wait to see us. They are so excited. And as I go, I will also take time to go to every ward to commission both the Smart Green School and the Primary Healthcare Centre.
“As I go to every ward and Development Centre, I will commission all projects without exception, the Smart Green Schools and the Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres in all the wards where they are cutting the ribbon. And so, it is indeed my honour and privilege to formally inaugurate this APC Enugu State Campaign Council.”
Governor Mbah further emphasised that the achievements of his administration could not be separated from the economic reforms and support provided by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He urged party members to recognise the President’s contribution to the state’s development and make it a central part of their campaign message.
“We must also campaign hard for the President because it also took those bold and courageous policies of his to achieve what we accomplished in the last three years. You can have all this vision and conviction, but if you do not back it up with money, you cannot do anything. Therefore, we also need to recognise and acknowledge that,” the governor stated.
Mbah also highlighted several major infrastructural interventions by the Tinubu administration in the South-East, particularly in Enugu State.
He noted that despite the region’s relatively low electoral support for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, the President had demonstrated goodwill towards the South-East through development projects, strategic appointments and other interventions.
The governor’s position was that the APC’s 2027 campaign should communicate not only the achievements of the state government but also the contributions of the Federal Government, thereby presenting a comprehensive account of the party’s performance to the electorate.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the Campaign Council, Chief Charlie Mbah, thanked the party’s leaders and faithful for the confidence reposed in him and his team.
He assured the governor and the party leadership that the campaign organisation would work towards delivering victory for the APC across Enugu State.
He pledged to lead an inclusive, organised, result-oriented and issues-based campaign that would reach every part of the state.
“My commitment is to build an inclusive, organised, result-oriented and issues-based campaign that reaches every senatorial zone, local government area, ward, community, and polling unit across Enugu State,” he assured.
The commitment reflects the campaign council’s stated intention to build a comprehensive political structure that connects the party’s leadership with its grassroots supporters and the wider electorate.
The number of dignitaries, party faithful, supporters and members who attended the event was massive, making it difficult to list all the personalities present in a single report.
The gathering brought together prominent political figures, elected representatives, government officials, party executives, community leaders, grassroots mobilisers and supporters from across Enugu State.
Their presence added significance to the occasion and demonstrated the scale of mobilisation surrounding the inauguration of the campaign council.
The event eventually came to an end at about 7:10 p.m. However, leaving the venue proved challenging for many attendees because of the mammoth crowd that had gathered for the epoch-making ceremony.
The heavy traffic and movement of vehicles around the International Conference Centre further reflected the scale of attendance at the event.
The inauguration of the 2027 Enugu State APC Campaign Council was more than a ceremonial gathering of political leaders and party faithful.
It was a formal declaration of the party’s readiness to commence an extensive political engagement with the people ahead of the 2027 general elections.
From the impressive turnout and the presence of political heavyweights to the inauguration of the 51 directorates, the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for second terms, and the governor’s commitment to personally visit all 68 development centres, the event projected an ambitious campaign agenda anchored on performance, political mobilisation and grassroots engagement.
The presence of distinguished political figures from different backgrounds also gave the occasion a broader political significance, while the appointment of coordinators for the three senatorial districts provided a framework for extending the campaign structure across Enugu State.
Nevertheless, the true measure of the inauguration will not be the size of the crowd, the glamour of the ceremony or the thunderous applause that greeted the speeches.
It will finally be determined by the campaign council’s ability to translate its promises into effective grassroots mobilisation, communicate the administration’s achievements convincingly and earn the confidence of voters across the state.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the challenge before the APC is clear: to sustain the enthusiasm generated by the inauguration, maintain unity within its ranks, engage the electorate with verifiable facts and demonstrate that its political strength extends beyond the walls of the International Conference Centre.
The inauguration has taken place, the campaign machinery has been activated, and the journey towards 2027 has gathered momentum.
The real political contest now lies in the ability of the APC to convert its organisational strength, policy message and grassroots presence into electoral support at the ballot box.
Ezea, Deputy Director, Public Communication, Enugu State APC Campaign Council writes from Independence Layout, Enugu State
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
