2027: Enugu Chief of Staff, Udeh, Rallies Enugu West for Mbah, Tinubu’s Re-election

By Our Reporter

The Chief of Staff to the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Victor Udeh, has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu West Senatorial District to support the re-election bids of Governor Peter Mbah, President Bola Tinubu and other party candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Udeh made the appeal while addressing party members, executives and political leaders at the APC Enugu West Zonal Meeting held at the Awgu Local Government Headquarters at the weekend.

He cited the Mbah administration’s investments in education, healthcare, aviation and infrastructure, urging the people of the zone to support the government’s development agenda.

According to him, the state government has established Enugu Air, constructed 268 Smart Green Schools and 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, and embarked on an international hospital project to transform education and healthcare delivery.

He also disclosed that the state’s airline was expected to commence flights from Enugu to Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom by December 2026, while a route to Guangzhou, China, was projected for the first quarter of 2027.

On the politics of power rotation in the state, Udeh urged Enugu West residents to consider the implications of their choices ahead of the next election.

“Enugu West, we should not sell our birthright. Let us not listen to those who promise to do one term. They are deceiving us,” he said.

He argued that Mbah’s re-election would provide a pathway for power to return to Enugu West Senatorial District in line with the state’s power rotation principle, claiming that other candidates could remain in office for eight years rather than the four years being promised by some aspirants.

Udeh recalled the support Enugu West gave Mbah in the 2023 governorship election and called on the zone to increase its support in 2027, while also urging residents to vote for Tinubu and other APC candidates.

He further said states that perform well could benefit from increased representation in the Federal Executive Council, expressing optimism that Enugu could produce more ministers after the 2027 elections.

The Chief of Staff also announced that the state government would soon unveil empowerment programmes for women, including financial assistance and other support, alongside grants for women-owned small businesses to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

Explaining Mbah’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, Udeh said the decision followed efforts by the governor to resolve challenges within the PDP.

He maintained that joining the APC had strengthened Enugu State’s relationship with the Federal Government, citing ongoing and planned federal infrastructure projects in the state and the South-East.

Among the projects he mentioned was the approval of a gas pipeline for the South-East by Tinubu, describing gas infrastructure as essential to industrialisation and economic growth.

He said the region had previously lacked such infrastructure.

Udeh also cited work on the Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Ninth Mile-Markurdi roads, as well as the ongoing rehabilitation of the Eastern railway corridor linking Port Harcourt, Aba and Enugu.

He said cooperation between the state and Federal Government would create opportunities for further investment and development.

Party leaders and government officials who attended the meeting included the former acting National Secretary of the PDP, Chief Sunday Ude-Okoye; members of the Enugu State Executive Council from the zone; local government chairmen; Special Advisers; Senior Special Assistants; Special Assistants; and other party stakeholders.

The meeting was led by the APC Enugu West Zonal Chairman, Chief Chimaobi Nze.

The participants also called on party members to protect their votes and work towards the success of APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.