Mbah urges Enugu voters to support APC candidates in council polls

Politics

ENUGU, Nigeria (NPA) — Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has urged voters, particularly APC members and supporters of his administration, to vote for the party’s candidates across all positions in Saturday’s local government elections and the 2027 general election.

Mbah made the call on Thursday at Amagunze, headquarters of Nkanu East Local Government Area, during an APC grand rally jointly organised by Nkanu East and Nkanu West councils ahead of the Sept. 26 council elections.

The governor cautioned voters against what he described as attempts by some political actors to encourage split voting, urging them to support APC candidates across the ballot.

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“Let no one lie to you. Let no one deceive you about splitting your votes by voting different candidates of different political parties for different positions. It is all lies. Vote APC all the way, from top to bottom. There is no room for vote sharing,” Mbah said.

He urged APC supporters to turn out on Saturday and vote for the party’s candidates, attributing some of the development recorded in the state and local government areas to the reforms and support of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

“You have to vote in the coming local government elections because of what you see around you. If our opponents ask you why you should vote APC, tell them to look around. It is as clear as daylight,” he said.

“Remember, don’t take anything for granted. It is not over until it is over. Come out on Saturday and thumbprint for APC.”

Mbah said his administration recognised rural communities as requiring greater attention, adding that sustainable poverty reduction must begin at the grassroots.

“We recognise that our weakest link is our rural areas and that is why we are paying serious attention to providing infrastructure in our rural areas — roads, Smart Green Schools and Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, among others,” he said.

He said local government chairmen had been encouraged to deliver projects including boreholes, rural roads and health facilities in their communities.

The governor also said increased funding to states and local governments had created greater fiscal space for development projects, adding that some of the projects would not have been possible without federal support.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, welcomed Mbah and pledged the continued support of the people for the APC and his administration.

Edeh described the council election as an opportunity for voters to demonstrate their support for the APC and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area, Chief John Ogbodo, also commended Mbah for development projects, including the Smart Green Schools programme, while the member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nnoli Nnaji, commended the governor’s development initiatives.

Nnaji said federal lawmakers from Enugu East Senatorial District had been working to complement the state government’s efforts, citing the provision of electricity transformers to each of the 14 wards in Nkanu East and vehicles for party officials and the Neighbourhood Watch in the constituency.

Enugu restricts movement for council elections

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government has announced restrictions on vehicular movement and other forms of transportation across the state on Saturday, Sept. 26, to facilitate the local government elections.

The election, being conducted by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), will produce chairmen for the 17 local government councils and councillors for the 260 wards across the state.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, on Thursday, the government said the restriction would run from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and was intended to support the peaceful, orderly and secure conduct of the elections.

The restriction exempts ENSIEC officials and accredited election personnel, security personnel deployed for election duties, accredited election observers and authorised media practitioners, as well as health workers, ambulances, firefighters and others authorised to perform essential election or emergency duties.

The government urged residents, political parties, candidates and supporters to comply with the directive and conduct themselves responsibly throughout the electoral process.

It also appealed to eligible voters to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully and in line with ENSIEC guidelines, while security agencies were directed to enforce the restriction and maintain law and order during the elections.