Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State have thrown their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as their preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The group also expressed its willingness to welcome Governor Peter Mbah into the APC and support his re-election bid regardless of his current party affiliation.
This resolution was announced by Dr. Ben Nwoye, former APC chairman in Enugu State, during a gathering dubbed The Progressives Stakeholders Meeting, held in the state capital.
According to Nwoye, the decisions were based on the alignment of shared progressive ideals and President Tinubu’s prior encouragement for political leaders in the state to support Governor Mbah.
“One of the first motions was for us to agree to receive Peter Mbah into the fold of the APC if he decides to join the party. That motion was unanimously passed, that we, the APC in Enugu State, will be happy and eager to receive Governor Peter Mbah into our fold to lead us,” Nwoye stated.
He further explained that “In line with Mr. President’s directive, another motion was moved to support Peter Mbah for 2027, to be elected for a second term, irrespective of party. The progressives in Enugu State, the APC, have declared that they will support Peter Mbah for a second term in 2027.”
The meeting also highlighted major federal interventions attributed to President Tinubu’s administration, which have impacted Enugu State positively.
These include the signing into law of the Federal University of Agriculture for Enugu, the appointment of an Enugu-born Chief of Naval Staff, and the planned establishment of a naval base and school within the state.
“That project will not only help to secure Enugu State’s waterways and inland water areas but will also boost employment, increase the number of our citizens joining the Navy, and provide more opportunities for our youths through the Naval School,” Nwoye added.
He also described the appointment of a native of Nsukka as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as a landmark achievement and an example of federal-state cooperation fostering development.
During the meeting, a third resolution was also adopted, formally declaring President Tinubu as the APC’s candidate of choice in Enugu State for the 2027 general election.
“We adopted all these motions as our resolution. What you observed is a process, it was not done in hiding. It was a process carried out openly, with grassroots participation from all the 260 wards and 17 local governments of Enugu State,” Nwoye emphasized.
He used the occasion to call out some APC leaders, accusing them of derailing the party’s performance in past elections.
“We will ensure that never happens again. My ward, Amuri Ward, alone will deliver more than 4,772 votes in 2027. If we replicate this across the state, victory is guaranteed for Tinubu,” Nwoye declared, in a jab at Minister Uche Nnaji and suspended ex-chairman Ugo Agballa, whom he accused of pushing a failed project called “Project 4772.”
He appealed to Governor Mbah to ensure that federal appointments for Enugu State are made strictly from among loyal and qualified APC members.
“We do not want people from Anambra, Abia, or Ebonyi States, under any capacity, to influence federal appointments in our state. Let His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, make appointments through the people who have worked for APC, based on merit and not on personal relationships,” he concluded.
