Governor Peter Mbah and Senator Osita Ngwu say federal infrastructure projects, including major roads, airport development and the South-East Development Commission, explain Enugu State’s support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah and Senator Osita Ngwu have attributed the state’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid to the Federal Government’s infrastructure investments and development projects across the South-East.
The duo spoke 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 based on the President’s commitment to the development of the South-East rather than blind political loyalty.
He cited the establishment of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), ongoing federal road projects and investments in aviation infrastructure as evidence of the administration’s commitment to the region.
The governor noted that the idea of establishing the SEDC had existed since the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970 but was only realised under Tinubu’s administration.
According to him, despite receiving a relatively small share of votes from the South-East during the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu 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,” Mbah said.
He also highlighted the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways, alongside other federal road projects, noting that improved road infrastructure would strengthen connectivity and economic activities across the region.
Mbah further commended Tinubu’s commitment to developing the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, particularly plans for a cargo terminal and the full operation of its international wing.
He said the cargo terminal, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, would help reduce the cost of transporting goods from Lagos to the South-East.
The governor maintained that a strategic political alliance with the Federal Government was necessary to advance the economic and political interests of the South-East.
On preparations for the 2027 general elections, Mbah disclosed that the APC had established structures across all 4,145 polling units in Enugu State.
He urged members of the campaign council to take the party’s message to communities, wards and polling units, cautioning them against complacency.
In his goodwill message, Senator Ngwu said ongoing federal road construction and rehabilitation projects across the South-East provided compelling reasons for residents to support Tinubu’s re-election.
He listed the Enugu-Makurdi, Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Ebonyi roads among the projects receiving federal attention.
According to the senator, the interventions had improved transportation and connectivity while easing difficulties previously faced by motorists and other road users.
Ngwu urged campaign council members to focus on verifiable achievements rather than political slogans in their engagement with voters.
Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, urged the council to prioritise Tinubu’s re-election alongside the success of other APC candidates.
Udeh said Mbah’s position as the South-East Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council placed considerable responsibility on Enugu State to mobilise support for the President.
He added that Enugu, as 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,” he said.
The APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Ben Nwoye, described the composition of the campaign council as extraordinary, saying it reflected the party’s growing strength and unity in Enugu State.
He noted that the council brought together prominent political figures from different political backgrounds.
Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated council, its Director-General, Charles Mbah, thanked the governor and party leadership for the confidence reposed in the members.
He described the appointment as a call to greater service, commitment and responsibility, adding that the governor’s achievements across various sectors would provide the council with material to engage voters at the grassroots.
Charles Mbah pledged that the council would run an inclusive, organised, result-oriented and issue-based campaign covering every senatorial district, local government area, ward, community and polling unit in Enugu State.
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