More than 30,000 teachers in Enugu State have endorsed Governor Peter Mbah for a second term in office and declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing improved teachers’ welfare and increased investment in education.
The endorsement was announced at a rally organised by the Teachers for Grassroots Movement (TGM) at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday.
More than 12,000 teachers reportedly participated in a procession through parts of the state capital before converging on the venue.
The teachers commended the Mbah administration for its interventions in the education sector, including the construction of Smart Green Schools, recruitment of teachers, regular payment of salaries, promotions and training opportunities.
They also praised Tinubu’s economic policies, with Mbah attributing the increased resources available to state governments for development projects to the President’s economic reforms.
Speaking at the rally, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Theophilus Odo, described Mbah as a governor who had demonstrated commitment to the welfare of teachers.
Odo recalled that Mbah had supported the domestication of harmonised retirement benefits for teachers before assuming office as governor.
He also commended the construction of more than 260 Smart Green Schools across the state’s 260 political wards, saying the initiative had improved learning conditions and positioned pupils to compete with their counterparts elsewhere.
According to him, the government’s recruitment of thousands of teachers, provision of professional development opportunities and prompt payment of salaries had helped address longstanding challenges in the sector.
“We are happy today because God has given us a caring governor, Peter Mbah,” Odo said.
He added that the teachers were endorsing Mbah for a second term, declaring that their votes would go to the governor.
Similarly, the Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Enugu State, Nelson Agu, said private school teachers had joined the rally to recognise the administration’s efforts to transform education.
Agu explained that the establishment of Smart Green Schools had encouraged private school operators to upgrade their facilities and improve educational standards.
He also praised the state government’s commitment to allocating 33 per cent of its budget to education for three consecutive years.
The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Enugu State, Simeon Akaeme, said the Mbah administration had restored the dignity of teachers through investments in infrastructure and social services.
In her remarks, the Director-General of TGM, Dr. Nwakaego Aja, described education as a foundation for liberation, self-reliance and economic development.
Aja said the movement represented more than 30,000 teachers across the state and pledged their support for Mbah and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
She maintained that the governor had demonstrated a commitment to innovation and educational transformation, promising that teachers would take his achievements to communities, schools, markets and polling units.
“Our vote is for the All Progressives Congress from bottom to top,” she declared.
The Enugu State Commissioner for Education and patron of TGM, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, described the endorsement as an indication of the support the governor and the President could attract ahead of the 2027 elections.
He thanked the teachers for supporting the administration’s education agenda, noting that the government had committed substantial resources to improving learning outcomes and expanding opportunities for children across the state.
Responding, Governor Mbah said the endorsement was significant because the success of his administration’s development agenda depended largely on the education sector and the teachers responsible for preparing future generations.
He said his administration’s ambition to position Enugu among Nigeria’s leading states in economic output, investment, business, living standards and tourism was closely linked to the transformation of education.
The governor highlighted ongoing investments, including the construction of more than 7,000 classrooms, the provision of 25,000 desktop computers and over 5,000 tablets, as well as free school feeding and uniforms.
Mbah said the government’s focus was not merely on providing infrastructure but on fundamentally transforming the state’s education system.
He expressed appreciation to teachers for their role in shaping the future of children and developing the human capital needed to drive the state’s growth.
The governor’s wife, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, also commended the teachers for their endorsement, describing it as recognition of an administration that had placed education at the centre of its development agenda.
The rally was attended by government officials, political leaders, community representatives and other stakeholders.
