Following direct primary elections across the state, the All Progressives Congress issues Certificates of Return to its chairmanship candidates ahead of the September 26 polls.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has officially elected and certified 17 chairmanship candidates to fly the party’s flag in the upcoming Local Government elections.
The internal democratic exercise follows the timeline released by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), which scheduled the unified council polls for September 26, 2026.
Highlighting the exercise, 12 serving Local Government Chairmen successfully secured their return tickets to contest for a second term in office under the party’s platform.
They are John Ogbodo, Nkanu West; Jude Asogwa, Nsukka; Caleb Ani, Enugu South; Ugo Ukwueze, Igboeze South; Ibenaku Onoh, Enugu North; Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, Aninri; and Greg Anyaegbudike, Oji-River.
Others are Chijioke Ezugwu, Uzo Uwani; Hyginus Agu, Udi; Uche Okoro, Awgu; Belove Dan Anike, Enugu East; Vitals Ndu, Ezeagu.
Presenting the Certificates of Return to the successful candidates on Wednesday at the APC State Secretariat in Enugu, the State Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, described the direct primaries as peaceful, orderly, and highly successful.
He expressed great satisfaction with the seamless behavior of party members at the various council headquarters, noting that the timely resolution of all field tallies demonstrates internal harmony.
Chukwunweike voiced absolute optimism that the party will sweep the grassroots polls in September. He urged the candidates to maintain excellent leadership standards and explicitly charged them to replicate the statewide infrastructure and economic achievements of the state governor.
“What you need to do is to go and replicate what our governor is doing in the state. His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, has actually done most of the campaign for us through his unprecedented projects. I believe that we will still do as usual and sweep the polls come September this year,” Dr. Martin Chukwunweike stated.
The primary elections saw term-limited changes in key constituencies. In Isi-Uzo and Nkanu East, incumbent chairmen Obiora Obeagu and Sydney Edeh stepped aside after completing their statutory tenures, paving the way for the emergence of Brendan Ani and Mike Ogbuekwe.
Additionally, fresh standard-bearers were elected in three other councils: Martin Ugwu for Igbo-Etiti, Ikechukwu Ezeoha for Udenu, and Dr. Chris Onyekachi for Igboeze North.
Responding on behalf of the candidates, the Secretary of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state and candidate for Awgu LGA, Hon. Uchenna Okolo, expressed unreserved gratitude to Governor Peter Mbah and the party leadership for ensuring a transparent process.
Similarly, the candidate for Nsukka LGA, Engr. Jude Asogwa, praised the governor for guaranteeing total financial autonomy for all 17 local government councils.
Asogwa noted that the candidates will not just campaign on empty political promises, but will point directly to the tangible proofs of grassroots governance, rural roads, and social developments executed under the administration to secure a clean sweep at the polls.
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