The chairmanship campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Nkanu East Local Government Area, Hon. Chief Engr.
Mike Chikosolu Ogbuekwe, popularly known as Mmiri Ọma Na Nkanu, has continued to gain grassroots momentum, with communities across the council area declaring support for his candidacy and the APC ahead of the September 26 local government election.
The latest mobilisation took Ogbuekwe and his campaign train through Nara, Mburumbu, Nomeh, Ohuani/Onicha Agu, Amechi Idodo, Orukwu and Umuode, where residents, community leaders, party stakeholders, women and youth groups turned out to receive the candidate and express support for his ambition.
The campaign stops also became platforms for stakeholders to canvass support for Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, with speakers repeatedly citing the governor’s development record as a reason for their continued support for the party.
In Nara, residents of Ward 1 and Ward 2 defied torrential rain to receive the campaign train, with community and political leaders describing the gatherings as an opportunity to acknowledge the impact of the Mbah administration and rally support for Ogbuekwe.
At Ward 1, the APC Ward Chairman, Dr. Kenechukwu Nnamani, declared the ward’s support for the APC and its candidates.
Other stakeholders, including Rt. Hon. John Nwankwo and Hon. Williams Chukwu, also welcomed the campaign delegation. Chukwu pledged his support for Ogbuekwe and the APC and announced a donation of ₦100,000 towards the campaign. Barr. Chief Joshua Mbah also presented a ram in support of the campaign.
The Nkanu East APC Chairman, Hon. Abel Igwe, popularly known as Agege, urged the electorate to support Ogbuekwe and the APC councillorship candidates on September 26, while calling for continued support for Governor Mbah and other APC candidates in 2027.
He subsequently presented the APC flag to the party’s councillorship candidate for Nara Ward 1, Hon. David Nwoye.
Addressing the gathering, the Director-General of the Mmiri Ọma Campaign Council, Hon. Prince Chukwuemeka Nwatu, urged residents to support the APC candidates across the ballot, including Ogbuekwe, Governor Mbah, Senator Kelvin Chukwu, Rt. Hon. Nnolim Nnaji and Hon. Okey Mbah.
Ogbuekwe, while thanking the people for turning out despite the rain, said Governor Mbah’s development initiatives had raised expectations of what political leadership should deliver.
“We are going to copy what Peter Mbah is doing in Enugu State and paste it in Nkanu East,” he said.
He promised to pursue greater development across the local government if elected and urged the people to support APC candidates at the state and national levels.
At Nara Ward 2, the campaign also received a strong turnout despite the weather. Former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Bishop Ralph Nwoye, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Market Liaison, Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah, and other political and community leaders joined the engagement.
The Ward Chairman, Hon. Chinonso Chukwu, declared the ward’s support for the APC, while other stakeholders, including Hon. Femi Okube, Mrs. Chinelo Okafor and Hon. Chidi Edenta, praised Governor Mbah’s development initiatives and expressed support for Ogbuekwe.
The President-General of Nara, Chief Emmanuel Edeani, also pledged support for the APC candidates.
From Nara, the campaign moved to Mburumbu and Nomeh, where similar declarations of support greeted the APC candidate.
At Mburumbu, the Ward Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Eze, urged party members and stakeholders to work together for victory in the September council election and sustain mobilisation ahead of 2027.
The Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Engr. Prince Lawrence Eze, welcomed the campaign on behalf of community stakeholders and expressed confidence in the readiness of Mburumbu residents to support Governor Mbah and the APC at the polls.
The APC flag was presented to the Mburumbu Ward councillorship candidate, Hon. Uchechukwu Nweke, by the Nkanu East APC Chairman.
The ALGON Chairman, Enugu State, and Executive Chairman of Nkanu East LGA, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, described Nkanu East as “totally and 100 per cent APC” and endorsed Ogbuekwe for the chairmanship.
He said Ogbuekwe had demonstrated competence and capacity through responsibilities handled under the Mbah administration and would, if elected, continue the development direction of the state government.
At Nomeh, the Secretary to Nkanu East Local Government, Rev. Felix Okoye, expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects, while the ward chairman and other stakeholders reiterated their support for the party.
Mazi Uche Anichukwu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and External Relations, highlighted development projects and initiatives in the area, including the planned agricultural project around the Nomeh-Unateze axis.
The APC flag was subsequently presented to the Nomeh Ward councillorship candidate, Hon. Kenneth Nwankwo.
Community leaders and stakeholders at the gathering declared their support for the APC, with the event repeatedly echoing the declaration, “Nomeh 100 per cent APC.”
The campaign subsequently moved to Ohuani/Onicha Agu, Amechi Idodo, Orukwu and Umuode, where Ogbuekwe again received a warm reception and further endorsements.
At Ohuani/Onicha Agu, the former Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Chief Hon. Ikechukwu Ubagu, presented a ₦1 million donation to Ogbuekwe on behalf of stakeholders and residents.
Ubagu also pledged the ward’s support for Ogbuekwe in the September 26 council election and assured that the community would support APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement was largely linked by speakers to Governor Mbah’s development record, with stakeholders citing infrastructure and other government interventions as reasons for their support for the APC.
At Amechi Idodo/Orukwu, the member representing Nkanu East Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Okey Mbah, commended residents for their turnout and solidarity.
The APC Chairman in Nkanu East, Abel Nwigwe, said the campaign was also an opportunity for communities to assess and acknowledge the development direction of the state government.
Prof. Hyginus Banko Okibe, Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), described Ogbuekwe as an educated, tested and trusted candidate, while pledging his support for the APC candidate and Governor Mbah.
The Director-General of the Mmiri Ọma Campaign Organisation, Prince Chukwuemeka Nwatu, also canvassed support for Ogbuekwe, citing his experience and professional background.
Across the communities, Ogbuekwe presented a consistent development message, promising to replicate what he described as the Mbah administration’s development model at the local government level.
He identified infrastructure, agriculture, human capital development and security as areas of priority, while also promising to support youth development, market development and other grassroots initiatives.
Ogbuekwe said the APC’s nomination had provided an opportunity to bring the governor’s development philosophy closer to the people of Nkanu East.
He also pledged to work with Nara indigenes in the diaspora towards the development of Nara Market and other community initiatives.
At the different campaign stops, he repeatedly urged residents to support other APC candidates, including Hon. Okey Mbah for the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nnolim Nnaji for the House of Representatives, Senator Kelvin Chukwu for the Senate and Governor Peter Mbah.
He also referenced a pledge by Nnolim Nnaji to facilitate one transformer for each ward in Nkanu East.
The campaign engagements have consequently transformed into a broader mobilisation effort, combining the September 26 local government contest with efforts to strengthen the APC’s grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For Ogbuekwe, the repeated endorsements, public declarations and the ₦1 million campaign donation represent signs of growing grassroots acceptance. For the APC, the engagements provide an opportunity to test the strength of its organisation across communities before the council poll.
But while campaign rallies can demonstrate enthusiasm and political organisation, the ultimate test remains the ballot.
With September 26 drawing closer, Ogbuekwe and the APC have secured public declarations of support in several Nkanu East communities. Whether those declarations translate into votes will be determined when the people head to the polls.