…Urges Aspirants to Join Hands with Governor
Former Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji, has thrown his weight behind the re-election bid of Peter Mbah, declaring that the governor’s performance over the past three years has earned him another term in office.
Nnaji made the endorsement on Monday while speaking with Government House correspondents after a meeting with Governor Mbah in Enugu.
The renowned engineer and statesman said he was unable to attend the recent Enugu East Senatorial District rally where Governor Mbah and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received endorsements ahead of the 2027 general elections, but insisted that his support for the governor remained unwavering.
“It should not be a surprise that I am in support of my younger brother,” Nnaji said.
Recalling his role before the 2023 governorship election, the former minister disclosed that he spearheaded consultations among key stakeholders to ensure that Nkanu East produced the state’s governor after years of perceived marginalisation.
“You may not be aware that during the run-up to the 2023 election, I led a group of key stakeholders in Nkanu East to campaign, going to all the key stakeholders in Enugu State, asking them to, please, consider Nkanu East; that we had not had the opportunity of holding this position.
“And because of that lack of opportunity, Nkanu East was about the only local government that did not have any real government presence,” he stated.
According to him, Governor Mbah’s administration has already begun reversing decades of neglect in the area through massive infrastructure development.
“If you are in, say, the Idodo area where the governor and I come from, you had to go through four local governments before you got to the headquarters of our own LGA. This needed to change.
“And so now all that is changing because of the work of His Excellency, our governor. And you can see that to go from that Idodo area to Amagunze, our local government headquarters, is now a matter of a few minutes. That has totally changed the calculation,” he added.
Nnaji also praised the governor’s interventions in security, healthcare, and road infrastructure, describing them as critical foundations for economic growth and sustainable development.
“There are so many other reasons why we have to all come and encourage our governor for what he is doing and to do more,” he said.
The former minister identified security and quality healthcare as two major factors capable of reversing Nigeria’s growing wave of emigration, popularly known as the “Japa” phenomenon.
“I was just talking with him about the two major criteria for people to come back to Nigeria instead of the ‘Japa’ syndrome of running away. Those two would be security, and the second is high-quality healthcare.
“So, the development of the Enugu International Hospital, which will have the sort of equipment that people run elsewhere to access, is something that is quite innovative for Nigeria.”
He noted that the project could help attract Nigerian medical professionals abroad back home while reducing the country’s dependence on foreign medical treatment.
“We are not lacking in high-quality doctors because we have them, except that many of them have run away. So, this hospital here will bring them back and begin to reverse healthcare tourism,” he said.
Nnaji further commended the administration’s extensive road construction programme across the state, saying the projects were transforming communities and opening up economic opportunities.
“Then there are all the infrastructure projects, the roads of standard quality that have been built or are ongoing across the state, and so on.
“Therefore, my presence here is to encourage him and support him so that by the next term, we should be able to see a lot more. That is the point,” he added.
The former minister urged politicians eyeing the governorship in 2027 to prioritise the state’s development by supporting the governor’s vision rather than pursuing divisive ambitions.
“The whole idea is for all of us to join together to support the governor for the next term. It is okay for people to run for office, but you have to look at the future. What are we really trying to gain?
“If we are doing well, then the thing is to encourage the governor and his government to do more for the people,” he said.
He also called on stakeholders across the state to actively contribute ideas and constructive criticism to strengthen governance, describing Mbah as a leader willing to listen.
“The other thing is that key stakeholders in the state should be able to come and be part of advising for the better. I mean, a governor is not God. A governor is a person of excellence who should be able to move the state forward.
“But in doing so, wherever there are things that are not going the way people want, we should be able to tell him. And he will listen. I believe he absolutely listens. From all the discussions that we have been having, I know he listens,” Nnaji concluded.
On President Tinubu’s re-election prospects, the former minister also expressed support for the President, saying strategic political alignment and continuity remained important for national development.
“On the support for the President, there is a lineup for the office. And that lineup is very important — both the up-ballot and down-ballot candidates usually have to be supported by clear-thinking people. That is what we are doing,” he stated.
