Over 30,000 teachers in Enugu State have endorsed the state Governor , Dr Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027, general election, citing improved teachers’ welfare, regular salary payments, promotions and increased investment in education, as Mbah says that the state’s economic transformation and future prosperity depend largely on teachers.
The endorsement was announced on Saturday, October 10,2026 at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, by the state Commissioner for education,Prof Ndubueze Mbah, during a mega rally organised by a support group , Teachers for Grassroots Movement (TGM), which had more than 12,000 teachers march through different parts of the Enugu.
The teachers, drawn from public and private schools across the state, said the Mbah administration’s investment in education, recruitment of teachers, construction of Smart Green Schools and professional development programmes had strengthened their confidence in the government’s education agenda.
Gov Mbah
In their remarks, the teachers described Mbah as a caring governor who had taken practical steps to address longstanding challenges in the education sector.
They commended the construction of Smart Green Schools, the recruitment of thousands of teachers and opportunities for professional development through symposiums and training programmes.
According to their state chairman , Theophilus Odoh, teachers no longer had outstanding promotions, while salaries were paid as and when due.
“Building over 260 Smart Green Schools is a very positive change. Our teachers and children can now compete favourably with their peers in other places. So, we, the teachers, are endorsing our governor for a second term in office. The votes of our teachers are only for Governor Mbah,” he said
Speaking also, the Enugu State Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Nelson Agu, said private school teachers were participating in such a rally in the state for the first time to demonstrate their support for the administration’s education reforms.
He explained that the introduction of Smart Green Schools had challenged private school proprietors to upgrade their facilities and improve educational standards to remain competitive.
Agu commended the state’s commitment to allocating 33 per cent of its annual budget to education for three consecutive years, describing the policy as a significant investment in the future of children.
DG, TGM, Dr Ego Ajah
The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Enugu State, Simeon Akaeme, also commended the administration for what he described as efforts to restore the dignity of teachers through investments in infrastructure and social services.
Akaeme said the government’s interventions had contributed to improving the working environment for teachers and the delivery of public services.
Addressing the gathering, Mbah described the endorsement as particularly significant, stressing that teachers were central to his administration’s ambition to transform Enugu into one of Nigeria’s leading economies and a major destination for business, investment and tourism.
Enugu teachers at the event
He said the state’s development projections, including its ambition to rank among Nigeria’s top three states in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), depended on building a skilled and educated population.
“Everything we do, all the promises we have made, all the projections we have made — growing Enugu’s economy, becoming one of the top three states in terms of GDP, making Enugu State the number one state in terms of investment, business, living and tourism — are in the hands of our teachers,” the governor said.
Mbah explained that his administration’s massive investment in education was driven by necessity, noting that failure to prepare children for the demands of a rapidly changing world could lead to greater challenges involving poverty, insecurity and unemployment.
He disclosed that the state was committing 33 per cent of its total budget to education, describing the allocation as a deliberate investment in human capital development and the transformation of the education system.
The governor listed the construction of more than 7,000 classrooms, the provision of 464,000 furniture items, 25,000 desktop computers and over 5,000 tablets among the interventions aimed at improving teaching and learning across the state.
He also highlighted free school feeding and uniforms as part of the government’s efforts to improve access to education and support pupils.
“For us, it is about transformation — transforming an education system. And that whole transformation, whether we fail or succeed, would lie largely in your hands,” he said.
He acknowledged the demands of the teaching profession, including early mornings, family responsibilities and the pressure of equipping children with the knowledge and skills required to drive economic development.
The governor thanked the teachers for their endorsement, saying their support imposed a greater responsibility on his administration to sustain its reforms and continue investing in education.
Mbah also credited President Tinubu’s economic reforms with making more resources available to state governments for development projects, including the construction of Smart Green Schools across Enugu State.
Earlier, the Director General of TGM, Dr Nwakaego Aja, described education as a foundation for liberation, self-reliance and economic development, particularly amid Nigeria’s socioeconomic challenges.
She assured Mbah of the support of the movement’s over 30,000 members, saying the teachers would communicate the administration’s programmes to communities across the state.
“We, the teachers, are not ingrates. We see what you are doing. You promised disruptive innovation, and you have delivered disruptive innovation. That is why we are here,” she said.
She added that the teachers would take the message to communities, staff rooms, markets and polling units, declaring support for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking the Commissioner for Education and patron of TGM, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, said the endorsement by teachers from across the state reflected their appreciation of the administration’s commitment to education.
He thanked the governor for investing resources in providing Enugu children with access to quality education and opportunities for a better future.
In her speech, the wife of Enugu state governor, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, described the endorsement as recognition of an administration that had placed education at the centre of its development agenda.
In his remarks, the state chairman of the Enugu state Council of traditional rulers, HRM Igwe Samuel Asadu urged the people of the state to come out on election day vote . On his part , Enugu state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Martin Chukwunwike, thanked the organisers of the event . He urged the people of the state to get their voter’s card on election day and vote for Governor Mbah and Bola Tinubu for second tenure.
The rally attracted senior government officials, education administrators, political and community leaders, and teachers from public and private schools across Enugu State.
