“Let me restate that ours will not be a government of any section of Enugu State. “It is your government, Ndi Enugu. Under our administration, there can never be division between Nsukka and Nkanu or any other section of the state. We are all brothers and sisters. Those who attempted to create a wedge between us failed woefully. We were massively voted by every section of the state. Those who wanted to smack our heads together had an ulterior motive and it was to create perpetual fussing and fighting between us. We resisted their machinations and today, we are coming together stronger. Our resolve thereafter is to pursue the spirit of divisiveness from our state”.
— Gov. Peter Mbah’s acceptance Speech at the declaration of the 2023 Guber election results.
The title of this piece drew its inspiration from the book:
“Long Walk to Freedom” which is an autobiography by South Africa’s first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela, first published in 1994 by Little Brown & Co. The comparison was influenced by the longest three days of interregnum when INEC suspended the collation and declaration of Enugu State Governorship election results on March 19 2023. We cannot forget in a hurry the yawning gap and aching suspense created by the disputes trailing the election results of Nsukka and Nkanu East Local Government Areas.
But at the declaration of the results in his favour, three days after, Mbah left no one in doubt about his policy directions. In a 1,126-worded acceptance speech spread across 20 paragraphs, quoted above, he mentioned Nsukka five record times, as he reassured them that they are an integral part of his policy plans.
His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah
Executive Governor, Enugu State
Last week, what dominated our cyberspace was the endorsement of His Excellency Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the Executive Governor of Enugu State for the upcoming 2027 Governorship election, by Enugu North Senatorial Zonal Stakeholders. That singular action generated a lot of reactions — some celebratory, others critical. While critics have accused the stakeholders of sycophancy and silence on pressing security concerns in the Zone, I believe there is need for clarity, truth, and objectivity. Far from being an act of political theatre, the endorsement looks more like a sober acknowledgment of visible transformation across the State, particularly in the Nsukka Zone.
It is important to understand the essence of leadership assessment in a democracy. Good governance must be seen, felt, and measured. And in less than two years, Governor Mbah has not only brought governance closer to the grassroots but has also redefined it with the language of progress, innovation, and inclusion.
From what I saw at the Adada House during the session, the endorsement was not a gathering of praise-singers—it was a convergence of critical minds, from Academia to Traditional institutions, Market Unions, Political Leaders, and Civic groups, all moved by a singular fact: the Nsukka Zone is witnessing unprecedented development, from the Governor’s administration.
The six Local Government Council Chairmen from Enugu North Senatorial Zone, making their endorsement remarks at the occasion
As the influential Irish playwright and Nobel prize winner, George Bernard Shaw noted: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” This is where I applaud the intellectual mobility of Hon. Chijioke Edoga (2023 Enugu State Labour Party Governorship candidate), who returned to PDP and conceded to the facts on ground, that Mbah’s state-wide development policy blueprint is irresistible, even to the hardest of adversaries.
Enugu North Senatorial District comprises 102 of the 260 electoral Wards in Enugu State. Under Governor Mbah, these Wards have not been left behind. In fact, the Zone has been the highest beneficiary of his infrastructural blueprint, a reality that speaks not only to fairness but to visionary planning. This is no coincidence—it is the fruit of a governance model built on disruptive innovation and strategic inclusivity.
Senator Chukwuka Utazi delivering his goodwill message of endorsement at the session
The state-wide construction of 260 Smart Green Schools—one in each ward—is not just a campaign promise fulfilled, but a revolutionary step in basic education. In Nsukka Zone alone, 102 such schools are springing up, equipped with digital learning tools, solar energy, and modern facilities aimed at raising a generation of critical thinkers and global citizens. These are not phantom projects; they are changing the face of education in Uzo Uwani, Igbo Etiti, Nsukka, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South, and Udenu.
What was a norm in the past was that a Governor focuses only on his own Senatorial Zone for eight years. But today, in the Lion Building sits a Governor who is focusing on the entire Enugu. Isn’t it worthy of emulation?
Health, the second pillar of sustainable development, has also received the governor’s Midas touch. 102 Type II Primary Healthcare Centres, uniformly distributed across the 102 wards of the Zone, now bringing basic healthcare closer to rural communities that have long been underserved. This is an investment in life, in dignity, and in equity.
Panel’s discussion at the occasion, reflecting on Mbah’s development strides in the Zone.
Let us talk about the road infrastructure in Mbah’s policy implementation, for according to the Ogidi-born global icon of literature, Chinua Achebe: “A nation that does not value the bridge between its rural and urban economy cannot truly develop.”
What would you call a leader who invests billions to connect forgotten Communities with the rest of the State? A visionary.
Consider the ongoing construction of the 19.8km Obollo Eke–Ibenda–Umuitodo–Okpakerekere–Ogwu–Obollo Afor road, a strategic link that is not just easing mobility but reviving trade routes and lifting the fortunes of rural farmers. Then look at the dualization of the 43.7km Enugu–Ugwogo Nike–Opi–Nsukka Road, now under construction—a signature project that critics themselves now ply with pride.
Governor Mbah’s infrastructure intervention isn’t selective or sectional. From the 44.8 km Ama Ngwo–Eke–Oghe–Iwollo–Umulokpa Road connecting Ezeagu to Uzo Uwani, to the 40 km Owo–Ama Nkanu–Ubahu–Mbu–Neke dual carriageway, his projects span across localities and senatorial zones, designed to erase years of neglect and rekindle economic hope.
Now let’s talk about the security concerns, which frightens everyone, including my humble self.
Critics who cite the security situation along the Nsukka–Ugwuogo Nike road and Uzo Uwani Communities are right to demand action. And they should. However, they must also recognize what has already been done.
“The price of liberty” says the third U.S President, Thomas Jefferson “is eternal vigilance.”
Governor Mbah didn’t look away. He established the Enugu State Command and Control Centre—a state-of-the-art security surveillance hub in Government House—designed to track criminal activity and coordinate rapid responses. This initiative, already being studied by other states, is a bold step toward intelligence-driven policing. Moreover, the administration has strengthened local vigilante groups, collaborated with federal agencies, and deployed additional patrol units along volatile routes.
While the government must, in humility, acknowledge, that its efforts haven’t yielded the expected results in curbing the spate of insecurity in the State, we must also come to terms with the fact that security is a continuous battle. Even the most advanced democracies face lapses. What matters is whether leaders are responsive, proactive, and accountable. Governor Mbah ticks these boxes. His commitment to addressing insecurity through technology and community engagement is one of the most innovative in Nigeria today.
Moreso, it is imperative we draw a line between sycophancy and democracy.
It is not sycophantic to recognize excellence; it is democratic. Political maturity demands that we honor leadership that delivers—not because we owe them allegiance, but because we owe our people progress. Nsukka Zonal leaders, in endorsing Governor Mbah, have chosen gratitude over cynicism, development over division, and evidence over emotion.
This was not about party affiliation. As Senator Chuka Utazi, an APC stalwart, rightly said during the meeting, “This is not about PDP. It is about development. It is about results.” The overwhelming voice vote, the diversity of those present—from farmers to professors, retired Generals to market women—validates the sincerity and depth of this endorsement. He has not betrayed the promises he made in his acceptance speech which formed the prelude to this piece above.
Let us not be prisoners of political bitterness. Let us acknowledge that something good is happening in our time, under our watch. Enugu State, under Governor Mbah, is shedding the toga of a civil service state and emerging as a center of innovation, tourism, education, commerce, and healthcare.
I will conclude with the wits of the famous ancient Greek Philosopher, Plato: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
The endorsement of Governor Peter Mbah by Nsukka Leaders was not a political event—it was a historic statement. A statement that development matters. That good leadership deserves continuity. That we must not always wait for perfection before we give our applause. That while we speak truth to power, we must also speak truth about power when it is working.
We call on all Critics to come with suggestions, not just condemnation. To lend their voices to improvement, not noise. Let us engage in nation-building—not as party men, but as patriots.
Let us build with words what others destroy with silence.
May daylight spare us!
✍️ Jude Eze.
ezejudeogechi@gmail.com
(Jude Eze is the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Udenu LGA Chairman, Aka Eze Aka, and writes from Udenu LGA).
