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By Grace Egbunuekhe
Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Peter Mbah and the party’s candidates ahead of the September 26 local government election and the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement was made on Tuesday, September 22, during the grand finale of the APC campaign in Enugu North, bringing together party leaders, stakeholders, supporters and members from the 13 wards of the local government.
Among those endorsed were Senator Kelvin Chukwu, Chimaobi Sam Atu, Johnson Ani and the APC chairmanship candidate for Enugu North, Dr Ibenaku Harford Onoh.
The development came as the APC intensified its grassroots mobilisation ahead of the council election. The party had earlier presented its chairmanship and councillorship candidates across the 17 local government areas of the state, with the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) scheduling the council poll for September 26.
Speaking at the campaign finale, APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Dr Ben Nwoye, said the endorsement reflected what he described as the assessment of residents and party stakeholders of the performance of the various levels of government.
Nwoye described Tinubu, Mbah and the APC candidates as the party’s preferred choices, while urging party supporters to mobilise voters for them.
He commended the leaders of Enugu North for what he described as their decision to support continuity and effective representation.
According to him, the endorsement demonstrated the importance of political leaders maintaining contact with residents and responding to issues affecting communities.
Nwoye also commended Onoh’s grassroots activities, describing him as one of the notable grassroots leaders in the state.
“I am very glad with what is happening today. This is pure and an organic display of love and thankfulness to Mr President, our Governor and all other candidates of the party,” he said.
He added that the gathering showed that some residents were assessing government policies and programmes and considering continuity in their political choices.
The former chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area and Special Assistant to the Governor on Grassroots Mobilisation, Emeka Onunze, also canvassed support for the APC candidates.
Onunze said the party had fielded candidates whom he described as capable of occupying the various political positions being contested.
He also praised the Tinubu administration, saying its policies and programmes had, in his assessment, affected residents across the South-East, including Enugu State.
On the state level, Onunze called for support for Governor Mbah’s re-election bid, claiming that APC leaders in the council were working towards securing 99.9 percent of the votes in Enugu North.
He attributed what he described as visible changes in the state to the Mbah administration.
Onunze also compared Onoh’s leadership at the council level with Mbah’s administration at the state level, describing the Enugu North APC candidate as the “Peter Mbah of Enugu North Local Government Area.”
The Enugu State APC chairman, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, also praised Onoh and other party members for their mobilisation efforts.
Chukwunweike said effective grassroots leadership required accessibility, responsiveness and regular engagement with residents.
“Grassroots leadership requires leaders to remain accessible, responsive and committed to the needs of the people,” he said.
He urged APC candidates to remain connected to the electorate and committed to their responsibilities if elected.
The state chairman also commended party leaders and supporters in Enugu North for their participation in the campaign and said the party would continue mobilising its members ahead of the elections.
In his acceptance speech, Onoh described the campaign finale as a “day of gratitude” and thanked the APC leadership and Governor Mbah for their support.
He pledged to justify the confidence placed in him by the party and residents, while promising continued attention to the development of Enugu North if returned to office.
Onoh is among the APC’s 17 chairmanship candidates selected for the September 26 council elections. The party said in May that 12 serving chairmen, including Onoh, secured return tickets during its chairmanship primaries.
The Enugu North campaign was led by APC Local Government Chairman, Ernest Onuoha, Onoh and Deputy Chairmanship Candidate Echezona Ugwu.
Former Enugu North council chairmen Emeka Ede, Emeka Onunze and Friday Ugwu also attended the event.
Other political figures present included Senator Kelvin Chukwu; Chimaobi Sam Atu, member representing Enugu North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives; Johnson Ani, member representing Enugu North Constituency in the state House of Assembly and Iloabuchi Aniagu, representing Nkanu West Constituency.
A major highlight of the event was the presentation of the APC flags to the chairmanship and councillorship candidates by the state leadership of the party.
The rally followed several days of ward-level mobilisation by the APC in Enugu North. The party had recently taken its campaign to areas, including Ogbete, Coal Camp, Independence Layout, New Haven, Ihewuzhi and New Layout, as it sought support across the council area.
The campaign has also taken place against the backdrop of the APC’s victory in the June 2026 Enugu North senatorial by-election, in which its candidate, Ikeje Asogwa, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
With the September 26 council election approaching, the endorsement in Enugu North marks the latest phase of the APC’s grassroots mobilisation as the party seeks to translate its campaign organisation and support for its candidates into votes at the council and future general elections.
