By Tony Adibe
There was excitement in Agbani, the Headquarters of Nkanu West Local Government Area, as the Enugu State APC Caretaker Committee, led by its Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, arrived for the final leg of its statewide tour to inaugurate the newly constituted Local Government and Ward Executives of the party.
Dr. Nwoye, who was accompanied by the Committee Secretary, Rt. Hon. Barr. Eugene Odo, and other members, including Ambassador Fidelia Njeze, Comrade Peter Chime, Dr. (Mrs.) Oby Ajih; Dr. Chiedozie Nwafor, and Engr. Emma Ekeh was received by a large crowd of party faithful, stakeholders, and government officials.
Also in the delegation were the immediate past PDP State Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, and the Governor’s Political Adviser, Chief Frank Anioma.
In his remarks, Dr. Nwoye described the APC as the winning party in Enugu State, noting that its prospects were already becoming evident. He recalled that, even while he was a committed member of the APC, he attended Governor Peter Mbah’s 2023 governorship rally dressed in full APC uniform because he was convinced at the time that the tide of history had already shifted.
According to him, he foresaw that the PDP was doomed, while Governor Mbah represented a different kind of leadership. “It was obvious that Governor Mbah was poised to perform exceptionally once freed from the distractions of a party weighed down by internal conflicts and strengthened through political alignment with the centre,” he said.
He praised Governor Mbah for his courage and vision, adding that the governor’s performance and the new political stability in the state had vindicated that conviction.
The Chairman of Nkanu West LGA, Hon. John Ogbodo, who hosted the event, commended Governor Mbah’s transformation agenda. He described the governor as a leader with both the will and the capacity to execute projects earlier written off as impossible by past administrations.
Ogbodo cited critical roads and infrastructure now under construction, praising Mbah for empowering sons and daughters of Nkanu West and for repositioning the local government as an essential partner in Enugu’s development trajectory.
He further described the proposed 2026 budget as unheard of in its scale and ambition, affirming that stakeholders in Nkanu West were fully united behind the governor’s move to the APC.
“In 2027, Nkanu West will reward Governor Mbah. When the time for campaigning comes, we will show what loyalty and gratitude mean,” he stated.
In his remarks, the immediate past Chairman of PDP, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, justified the movement of not only the governor but also the entire structure of state leadership—from national to state and local government levels—into the APC. He argued that the realignment reflected the practical realities of governance and the collective interest of the people of Enugu State.
Other speakers who lent their voices in support of the governor and the new political direction in the state included the Member representing Nkanu West in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Iloabuchi Aniagu; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Mainstream Media, Dan Nwomeh; Chairman of the Enugu State Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board, Dr. Amaka Ngene; and party chieftain, Chief Mike Onu.
The gathering also witnessed the presence of the Deputy Chairman of Nkanu West LGA, Hon. Friday Nnam; the Council Secretary, Prince Barr. Onochie Igweshi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Strategic Communication, Dr. Collins Ogbu; Special Assistant on Media, Darlington Arinze Nnamani, former council chairman, Arc. Nnaemeka Nnamani, and a former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu, among other dignitaries.
The high point of the rally was the inauguration of the local government and ward executives of the party by the State Secretary, Hon. Barr. Eugene Odo, followed by the presentation of the party’s flag and brooms to the newly inaugurated Chairman of the party in the local government, Hon. Sunday Onovo, and his Exco members.
