From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
A socio-political pressure group, the Aninri People’s Assembly (APA), has reiterated its support for the administration of Enugu State Governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, and expressed its commitment to ensuring his re-election for a second term in office.
The Aninri People’s Assembly was among several support groups in Enugu State that turned out to rally support for Governor Mbah’s re-election at the unveiling of a compendium of his achievements in the past three and a half years.
The event was held at the Enugu International Conference Centre (EICC) on Wednesday, September 9.
Notably, APA supporters from communities in Aninri were conveyed to the event in a hired Entraco luxury bus, while members residing in Enugu metropolis converged at the venue.
Speaking to newsmen after the event, the APA leader, High Chief Shadrach Ekpete, said the mobilisation was part of his efforts to consolidate grassroots support for Governor Mbah in Aninri Local Government Area and beyond.
Ekpete, a successful businessman, said the socio-infrastructural strides recorded in Enugu State in the past three years under Governor Mbah’s administration were unprecedented in the history of the state.
He said he had volunteered to provide all necessary support to facilitate the governor’s re-election.
He stated, “Even the blind feels the pulse of Governor Mbah’s achievements in the past three and half years. He is tackling the problems in all sectors and we are already seeing the results.By the time he completes another ternure, Enugu state will be the best state in Nigeria.
“I am already relocating part of my business to Enugu. I can fly to and from Enugu in one day.
There is improved security, our roads are getting better and Enugu is gradually opening up for business.It is no longer only a Civil Servants city”, Ekpete stressed.
Chief Ekpete further explained that he decided to throw his weight behind Governor Mbah’s re-election because other civilian governors of Enugu State since the return of the Fourth Republic in 1999 had served two terms.
He said it would therefore be unfair to deny Governor Mbah the same opportunity, describing a second term as a constitutional right where there was no just cause to prevent it.
On the other objectives of the Aninri People’s Assembly (APA), High Chief Ekpete revealed that the organisation had operated for the past two decades, catering to the needs of the rural poor in Aninri Council Area in conjunction with the ONODUGO Foundation, another of his pet projects.
His words, ” I am the Director General of Aninri People’s Assembly,APA.Since it was created about 20 years ago, I am the only sponsor of it’s activities. Through APA and ONODUGO foundation which is also my brainchild, We try to make life meaningful to the poor and needy.
In December 2025,We shared wrappers to over 500 women including widows.We also gave foodstuffs and some largesse for their Christmas.
This reporter observed that more than 90 other socio-political pressure groups in Enugu State, clamouring for the re-election of Governor Mbah, attended the unveiling of the compendium detailing more than 10,000 achievements recorded by the administration across critical sectors of the state economy
The compendium, entitled “A Thousand and One Reasons Why Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Should be Re-elected as Governor of Enugu State,” highlighted, among other achievements, more than 1,521 kilometres of constructed and reconstructed roads, over 7,000 classrooms, 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, Enugu Air, the New Enugu Smart City and the revamp of moribund assets.
The Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, who represented Governor Mbah at the event, said the compendium aligns with the Citizens Charter, also known as Executive Order 001, which the governor executed immediately after he was sworn into office on May 29, 2023, to emphasise his administration’s commitment to accountability, traceability and transparency.
He said the compendium highlighted the administration’s philosophy of disruptive innovation and its focus on large-scale infrastructure, noting that it did not contain everything the administration had accomplished up to the day of the unveiling.
“Our assignment today is not just to unveil the Citizens Charter via the compendium. It is a lot more than that. It is a conversation on the sacrosanct duty and responsibility you gave to us to midwife and preside over your resources.
“But above all, it is important to note that the document we are about to unveil does not entirely capture everything this government has done because, given the time it took to prepare this document, there was a cut-off point running months behind.
He thanked those who believed in his vision and worked for his election in 2023, while also appealing to those affected by some of the administration’s difficult decisions to remain patient, assuring them that Enugu was on its way to becoming a $30 billion economy and the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism and living.
“I also want to thank all those who made sacrifices, who lost their friends because they felt supporting us was the right thing to do. I want to thank all those who invested their resources. I want to thank all those who took pains in very unimaginable circumstances to ensure that Enugu moves to the next level.
“But what you must take home with you is that our intentions are noble. What we try to do is to put Enugu on a reversible path of greatness. What we try to do is to ensure that Enugu will not compete with Nigeria or within Nigeria,” he added.
