From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah has expressed appreciation to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State following his emergence as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 governorship election.
Mbah spoke during his acceptance speech at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on Friday, after the APC governorship primary election panel, led by Hon. Danmalikin Hausa, officially declared him winner of the exercise conducted on Thursday, May 21.
According to the panel, Mbah secured a total of 397,370 accredited votes from party faithful across the 260 wards of the state.
The governor said he accepted the nomination with a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude.
“This moment is not one I take for granted. For me, there was never a sense of entitlement. I accept this nomination with full awareness of the expectations that come with it, buoyed by the knowledge that it is not an unfamiliar path for me,” he stated.
Mbah expressed satisfaction that his administration had disproved the belief that campaign promises are rarely fulfilled, stressing that the “Tomorrow Is Here” mantra of his government had become a practical reality.
“What once felt distant — that tomorrow could be different — is no longer abstract. It is taking shape.
“It is visible in the routines of daily life, in how people travel, how they work, and how they now access services that were once unreliable or out of reach.
“We have shattered the notion that promises matter more than performance. Every naira spent has been made to give the people of Enugu a return on their investment of trust and faith,” he said.
The governor went on to highlight achievements recorded by his administration in security, education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and industrial revival.
“Today, events are scheduled on Mondays without the least apprehension. Through our Command and Control Centre and other modern security infrastructure, we have restored citizens’ confidence in the state’s capacity to protect them.
“Through our ward-based Smart Green Schools, learning has become fit-for-purpose, offering our children education that guarantees them a place in a fast-changing world.
“With at least one Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centre in each of our 260 wards, we have ensured that location is no longer a barrier to quality healthcare.
“Across our rural communities, crop yields are rising as the roar of tractors increasingly replaces backbreaking tasks such as ridging and tilling once done with hoes and cutlasses.
“Across our towns and cities, opportunities are emerging as decades-old moribund industries return to life.
“Until a few months ago, the Songhai Heneke Farm in Ezeagu was a deserted project. Today, the story has changed.
“The United Palm Products Limited has risen from its moribund state to become a viable enterprise, creating employment opportunities for young people.
“The Enugu Haier Factory, a $20 million investment facility producing digital appliances and electronics, is another example.
“Jobs in the aviation sector that once seemed unattainable are now within reach for our youths with the launch of Enugu Air.
“Our sons and daughters will soon be able to fly to major cities around the world directly from here.
“We have constructed over 1,500 kilometres of roads and launched five world-class transport terminals alongside CNG buses to ensure that our people commute in dignity and comfort,” he added.
Mbah further stated that Enugu was gradually becoming a model for sustainable governance, innovative development and improved quality of life.
The governor also acknowledged the role of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, noting that the policies had made more resources available to states for developmental projects.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Election Panel, Hon. Danmalikin Hausa, commended Mbah and party leaders for conducting what he described as a peaceful and credible primary election in the state.
“Enugu State APC is a well-coordinated chapter where internal democracy, consensus-building, discipline, synergy and peace reign supreme. The entire exercise was rancour-free and indeed carnival-like,” he said.
He also praised President Tinubu and the national leadership of the party under Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda for providing what he called exemplary leadership that ensured peaceful and credible primaries across the country.
