By Francis Edeh

By popular acclamation, the definition of democracy that is more widely accepted and given to be quoted often is the one by Abraham Lincoln which defines democracy as “the government of the people, by the people and for the people”.

Perhaps, because of its organic consideration inherent in this definition which places a great premium on the people as the ultimate decider of their fate, at least in the proper context of the majority of the people having the choice to elect those who will govern them and at the same time over sight such instituted government for effective delivery of public goods to the electorate.

Therefore, the clamour for democracy lies more in the fact or the belief that it will more than any other form of government lead to the enthronement of good governance which promotes human rights and rule of law, transparency and capabilities in public administration.

While this will in turn help government to meet up with the demands of the people through deliverables such as education, health, water, good roads, employment and prompt payment of salaries, housing and urban renewal, security of lives and property, that we all tag as dividend of democracy in our clime.

In that vein, those who followed the campaign promises of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and perused carefully his campaign manifesto, could agree that he raised the stakes high with promises of turning the fortunes of the state around in the most radical way possible.

Infact, some people were doubting how he would be able to do those things he said that he would do and with which resources?

Now, one can freely report that our individual and collective bargaining for a fair recompense by the way of instituting policies, programmes and projects that will impact greatly on the lives of the people are being met by our award winning governor.

Take a look at what he has been able to achieve within three years of his first term in office as Governor of Enugu State:

REVENUE MOBILIZATION; he has Continued the implementation of the various measures aimed at reforming the State Internal Revenue Board to strengthen its operational efficiency, plug remaining avenues of leakage and ensured optimal collection and accounting for taxes, levies and rates due to the state through sustained Single Treasure Account Payment which yielded the State a whopping sum of N406.7 billion as IGR by the end of 2025, the highest in the history of the state.

And still looking ahead to generating up to N870 billion in this year 2026.

This record is unprecedented in the history of Enugu State, and with comes the much needed financial clout to deliver on his campaign promises that many had thought were quite staggering at that time.

And which explicitly underscores this years humongous State budget of N1.62 trillion with 80% of it going to capital expenditure.

And that is because of the sheer size of the project and investment that is ongoing in the state.

TRANSPORT AND AVIATION
Of a truth, His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah is working round the clock to take Enugu State to greater heights. The Enugu Air narrative is like a miracle in the midst of tales of failures of like ventures in the aviation industry.

But with commitment and dedication and application of requisite expertise, Enugu Air stands out as a success story even from inception.

From the initial six planes in its fleet, the government is set to make it up to 20 planes by this budget year and already the state government has already paid #10 billion equity contribution to concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu which would ease the completion of the International wing this year to make Enugu a truly regional aviation hub.

In land transportation, the purchase and deployment of 100 CNG ultra modern buses on major routes across the state has cut transport costs by up to 30 percent.

And this is complemented by over 25,000 commercial vehicles registered in a unified biometric system, improving identity verification, reducing crime and enabling digital ticketing integration.

Added to this is the building 80 bus shelters across the state to provide weather protection and organized queuing among passengers.

In addition to this massive infrastructure in the transport sector, Enugu State Government is commencing a 135.3km intrastate standard gauge rail project this year to enhance connectivity within towns and communities in the state.

It had also got permission from the Federal Government of Nigeria to stretch the modern railway line from Aba, Abia State to Enugu with the state bearing the cost of this federal government facility to ensure an integrated regional economic operations.

Also the building and commissioning of ultramodern transport terminals in key locations across the state with modern facilities to improve travel convenience, efficiency and job creation added great value and ease of movement to commuters across the state.

EDUCATION; Of all the sectors of sectors of Enugu State economy, none has received as much attention as that of education in sectoral allocations. In fact for the third straight year as Governor Peter Mbah confirmed in a recent interview, over 30% of the entire budget has been allocated to education.

And when he talks with delight and enthusiasm about the building and equipment of 260 Smart Green schools in the 260 political wards of the state, it is because he is bent on making sure that our children are imbued with 21st century skills.

These Schools will have Smart hubs with Internet boards, tablets, robotics, Artificial intelligence (AI), Virtual and Augmented Realities and mechatronics engineering facilities.

Additionally, free meals, uniforms and other essentials are provided for pupils and students to ensure equal learning opportunities.

The higher educational institutions like Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, Enugu State College of Education Technical (ESCET) among others have been receiving increased funding for payments for staff salaries and boosting of infrastructure development and facilities upgrade.

SECURITY; In the wake of spikes of insecurity, the state security architecture was remodeled to bring it up to speed with the emerging dimensions of insecurity and criminality.

To this end the state government took the bold step of decisively ending the unlawful Monday Sit at home enforced by non-state actors, thereby restoring public confidence, economic activities and freedom of movement.

The state also strengthened coordination among security agencies, Police, DSS, Military and Local Vigilantes through joint task forces and integrated operations.

They were also provided with AI embedded surveillance cars equipped with facial and license plate recognition, GPS tracking and live-feed transmission to the Command Center.

One of the most innovative additions to the solving techniques provided by Enugu State Government is the state of the art security operations hub established with Artificial intelligence capabilities for real-time surveillance, data analysis and rapid emergency response.

Added to this is additional recruitment of Neighborhood watch and Forest Guards personnel, their training and equipment to enhance community policing in order enhance the overall security services to the people of Enugu State.

OTHER SECTORS; Governor Peter Mbah’s success story and fidelity in meeting up with his campaign promises are also manifest in the building of the world famous International Conference Center that have continued to attract customers from across the world and getting booked all year round complimented by the magnificent 5 Star hotel that is nearing completion at the same premisese, which promises to be a new discovery in hospitality business in South East Nigeria and the come back to life Presidential Hotel, Enugu, an unmistakeably hallmark of Governor Peter Mbah’s exquisite taste and love for enduring legacy.

All these projects have the potential to boost our tourism with the added value to our internal generated revenue.

And talking about tourism, the state government recently convened a stakeholders forum on the Nsude Pyramid, Elijah Iron Site and Okpogho Slag Mound, creating a pathway for state and national monument recognition.

This step will strengthen heritage tourism in the state and opens new streams of income to the government and people in the areas that are endowed with these monuments.

In the health sector, Governor Peter Mbah Is building a 5 Star International hospital within the Okpara Square axis where the International Conference Center and the 5 Star International Hotel are sited, which will be equipped with the best hospital equipment in the world that money can buy and managed by an international firm reputed to be among the best hospital managers in the world.

And for the spread of health facilities across the state, the building of 260 type 2 hospitals across the 260 wards in Enugu State and the upgrade and re-equipping and re-staffing in 23 facilities across the state show that the health of the people of Enugu State are paramount to the administration of His Excellency, Barr Peter Mbah.

On roads, Governor Peter Mbah has built and rehabilitated 293 roads statewide, improving connectivity, reducing travel time and supporting socio-economic activities across the state. And he has done more stretches of road than any other governor of the state.

Meanwhile, the double lane Abakpa/ Ugwuogo/Opi Road and the double lane Owo/Ubahu /Umualor/ Neke/ Ikem Road stands out as a testament to commitment and dedication towards bringing the much needed democracy dividends to the people of Enugu State.

In conclusion, His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah’s revolutionary enterprise in the field of agriculture and with more than 260 Smart State farms across the state in order to ensure food sufficiency and value added chain in agro business, and his darring efforts in revitalizing moribund state industries and building of new ones may have to wait for another day and time to ensure adequate capturing.

Hon. John Ogbodo, Executive Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, has congratulated Ben Nwoye on his emergence as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress, describing it as a well-deserved recognition of his leadership and commitment to party growth.

In a statement issued shortly after the announcement, Ogbodo commended Nwoye’s political consistency and grassroots mobilization capacity, noting that his elevation would strengthen the party’s structure across the southern region.

DAILY GAZETTE reports that Nwoye, a former Chairman and Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in Enugu State, emerged at the party’s elective convention through a widely accepted consensus arrangement.

He succeeds Emma Eneukwu, who has been part of the party’s national leadership for 13 years.

Ogbodo also hailed the role of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, for fostering a political environment that encourages excellence and competitiveness among leaders from the state.

According to him, Nwoye’s emergence reflects the growing relevance of Enugu politicians on the national stage, adding that it would inspire greater participation and unity within the party.

He expressed confidence that Nwoye would bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new role, urging party members to rally behind him to consolidate the APC’s presence and performance in the South.

Ogbodo further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting progressive ideals and strengthening the party’s base at the grassroots level.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of enabling criminality through what it described as troubling and lenient rhetoric toward terrorists.

The opposition party based its criticism on remarks attributed to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who was said to have referred to terrorists as “brothers,” as well as comments credited to the Chief of Army Staff describing them as “sons.”

Reacting via a statement on X, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, warned that such language reflects a dangerous mindset that risks normalising criminal behaviour rather than confronting it decisively.

“When leaders begin to frame terrorists in familial terms, it blurs the moral and legal boundaries necessary for an effective security response,” Abdullahi said, adding that the approach undermines efforts to safeguard lives and curb violence.

The ADC insisted that under its leadership, there would be no ambiguity in dealing with insecurity. It vowed to treat terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers strictly as enemies of the state, while proposing the establishment of special terrorism courts to fast-track justice.

Outlining its strategy, the party said its counter-terrorism framework would focus on grassroots intelligence gathering, state-level prevention, national coordination, and regional collaboration.

Reaffirming its stance, the ADC declared that it would adopt a zero-tolerance policy, stressing that those who threaten Nigerian lives would face severe consequences without sentiment or compromise.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has released former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, after weeks in detention over corruption-related charges.

El-Rufai, who had been in custody since February 19, was initially detained following a 48-hour interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He was later arraigned by the ICPC on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion of public property and money laundering before a Federal High Court in Kaduna, which adjourned his bail application to March 31.

However, in a dramatic turn, the anti-graft agency granted him release shortly after news emerged of his mother’s death in Cairo, Egypt. Sources close to the family indicate the decision was made on compassionate grounds, as arrangements are underway to repatriate her remains to Nigeria.

Confirming the development, El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, said the former governor had regained his freedom, while an associate also corroborated the release but declined further details.

El-Rufai has consistently denied all allegations against him.

Meanwhile, Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu have extended condolences to the former governor over his loss.

The development has stirred mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians debating whether the episode reflects justice tempered with empathy or privilege at play among the political elite.

Ben Nwoye has emerged as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress following his official announcement at the party’s ongoing elective convention.

The former Enugu State Chairman and Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party secured the position after a widely anticipated consensus arrangement in his favour.

He takes over from Emma Eneukwu, who has served in the party’s national leadership for 13 years.

Nwoye, alongside other newly elected members of the National Working Committee, is set to be sworn in shortly.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit their registers of members in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

The decision, announced Friday in Abuja by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, follows concerns raised by political parties over the original timeline.

Initially, parties were required to submit their membership registers between April 1 and April 21, 2026.

INEC has now revised the schedule to ensure compliance with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which prescribes a 21-day window.

The new final deadline for submission is May 10, 2026.

In addition, political parties are now free to conduct their primaries within the approved period of April 23 to May 30, 2026.

INEC emphasised that strict adherence to the revised timeline is critical to ensuring a smooth and credible electoral process.

“The commission will continue to work with political parties to guarantee transparency and fairness in the lead-up to the 2027 elections,” the statement added.

This extension gives parties more flexibility to organise their internal processes while aligning with legal requirements, ensuring that Nigeria’s electoral preparations remain orderly and compliant.

Barr. Ben Nwoye has emerged as the consensus candidate for the position of Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress in the ongoing party’s national convention.

Nwoye, a former caretaker committee chairman of APC in Enugu State, had long been regarded as the front-runner for the position zoned to Enugu State.

His emergence reportedly came after extensive consultations within the party, guided by a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Chaos erupted on Friday at the 8th National Convention of the All Progressives Congress as delegates and journalists were blocked from entering Eagle Square.

Security operatives, stationed at key points leading to the venue, reportedly fired tear gas at delegates and journalists struggling to gain access.

Several journalists were denied entry tags, leaving them stranded outside.

Mallam Auwal Umar, a delegate, said one of his colleagues fainted after being affected by the tear gas, while a journalist who identified herself as Seyi described the accreditation process as “extremely frustrating.”

A security official, speaking anonymously, stated that officers were instructed to prevent entry to anyone without proper tags and claimed tear gas was deployed only when crowds became overwhelming.

The convention is expected to ratify the re-election of 30 members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), with approximately 8,453 delegates in attendance.

Delegates and journalists at the scene condemned what they described as poor planning by the organisers, raising questions about access and crowd management at one of Nigeria’s most high-profile political events.