The people of Imezi-Owa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State have declared their support for Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates ahead of the 2027 elections, declaring that the community will no longer remain in opposition.
The declaration was made on Sunday, August 30, 2026, during an endorsement rally tagged “Imezi-Owa Stakeholders Endorsement Rally for Our Leaders,” where representatives of the seven communities that make up Imezi-Owa unanimously endorsed Mbah for a second term and Tinubu for another term as President.
The community also endorsed Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District; the APC candidate for Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency, Dr. Festus Uzor, who also represented Senator Ngwu at the event; the Enugu State House of Assembly candidate, Mrs. Adanma Ode; and the Ezeagu Local Government chairmanship candidate and incumbent chairman, Dr. Vita Ndu, alongside his deputy, Mrs. Nkiru Ugwuagu.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chijioke Jideofor, described Umudioha, Imezi-Owa, as the ancestral home of Ezeagu and said the endorsement reflected a collective decision to abandon opposition politics and embrace the mainstream.
Jideofor said the people had decided that continued opposition was no longer in their interest, insisting that the community wanted to have a greater stake in governance and development.
“We gathered our people and sought their consent that we shall not play opposition come 2027. We have played opposition for too long. Our people have agreed unanimously to endorse all APC candidates, starting from the governor down to the councilors.
“Gov. Mbah has shown capacity to perform and we endorse him. We want seamless development,” he said.
He, however, said the endorsement came with expectations, urging the candidates to enter into a social contract with the people by addressing the area’s infrastructure and political challenges.
Jideofor lamented the poor state of roads in the communities and the absence of electricity in some areas, while making a special appeal for the revival of the abandoned Ajali-Owa Water Scheme, which he said previously supplied water to communities in the area and Enugu metropolis.
“Ajali Water Scheme is now moribund. The Ajali Owa has served water to the people of Enugu, let his excellency revive the water scheme. Our people deserve better things,” he said.
He also complained about what he described as inadequate political representation for Imezi-Owa, noting that no indigene of the area had occupied a seat in the Enugu State House of Assembly or served as a commissioner since the creation of the state.
“We need the presence of governance in Imezi Owa,” he concluded.
Other community leaders expressed similar sentiments, saying the decision to support the APC was driven by their desire to end years of opposition politics.
Barr. Anidiobi said, “In the past, we were in opposition but this time around, we shall no longer be in opposition,” while Dr. Kingsley Okongwu pledged that the community would work tirelessly to deliver the APC candidates.
“We are here to give our support to Gov. Mbah and the APC come 2027. We are not just going to deliver the party but will make sure that the government works well. What we have said is that we shall deliver all the APC candidates from Tinubu, Gov. Mbah down to all the other candidates.
“We shall work tirelessly to see that we deliver the APC candidates. Be rest assured that Imezi Owa is for APC and Gov. Mbah,” Okongwu said.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, the Imezi-Owa youth leader, Chinemerem, said young people in the area were backing Mbah because of projects embarked upon by his administration, including Smart Schools and Type-2 hospitals.
The APC Chairman in Ezeagu Local Government Area, Steve Anibueze, described the endorsement as unanimous, insisting that the gathering was not a rented crowd but a genuine representation of the people.
“What we are here is for the endorsement from the President down to the councilorship candidates. This is not a borrowed crowd but the entire Imezi Owa people. We are all for APC and Gov. Mbah. Gov. Mbah’s imprint is enough for us to endorse him,” Anibueze said.
Before presenting Ofo to the APC candidates as a traditional symbol of endorsement and victory, elders of Imezi-Owa appealed to Governor Mbah to lift the suspension of the community’s traditional ruler and President-General, saying their restoration would help maintain peace and stability in the area.
Representing Governor Mbah at the rally, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, expressed delight over the community’s decision to abandon opposition and support the ruling party.
Onyia assured the people that the grievances raised at the gathering, particularly those concerning roads, political appointments and the abandoned Ajali-Owa Water Scheme, would receive the attention of the state government.
He disclosed that the Ajali-Owa Water Scheme would soon receive attention and urged the community to protect the infrastructure from vandalism when rehabilitation work begins.
“Promise that you will protect the infrastructure and ensure that it will not be vandalised,” he exhorted.
On the demand for the restoration of the suspended traditional ruler and President-General, the SSG said he would personally convey the request to the governor.
“What you said today is that you are no longer in opposition. I shall tell the Governor that you have all come together and you are endorsing him and other candidates including Mr. President.
“As for the suspended Igwe and the PG, I’ll tell the Governor to restore them. Make sure that you vote 100% for APC candidates,” Onyia exhorted.
Speaking after the Governor’s representative, the APC candidate for Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency, Dr. Festus Uzor, who also represented Senator Osita Ngwu at the rally, urged the people of Imezi-Owa to vote Mbah for a second term, saying the governor had demonstrated commitment to his campaign promises.
“Gov. Mbah had a clear manifesto and he is implementing it. His victory will be for all of us, not for Mbah so that he will continue his many good works,” Uzor said.
Uzor also reminded the people of his longstanding interventions through the Dr. Uzor Cares Foundation, saying the foundation had provided scholarships to beneficiaries dating back to 2000 and currently supports several undergraduates through bursary awards.
He pledged to continue supporting the people and sustaining interventions in the constituency if elected to the House of Representatives.
The APC House of Assembly candidate, Mrs. Adanma Ode, expressed appreciation to the people for accepting her candidacy and presenting her with the Ofo, promising to provide effective representation if elected.
The gathering, which attracted high-profile individuals, including Hon. Mrs Ngozi Enih, Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, as well as political and traditional leaders, ended with the community reaffirming its commitment to mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu, Governor Peter Mbah, Senator Osita Ngwu, Dr. Festus Uzor, Mrs. Adanma Ode and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
