Mbah inaugurates 17 elected local govt chairmen, deputies, charges them on People-oriented governance

Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has inaugurated the 17 elected local government chairmen ( 5 newly elected and 12 re-elected) and their deputies, charging them to take governance to the grassroots, be close to the people and translate their mandates into tangible development across the state.

Speaking shortly after the inauguration held in Government House, Enugu on Wednesday, September 30,2026, Governor Mbah said , the inauguration followed the September 26, 2026 local government elections and marked the commencement of a new tenure for the elected chairmen and their Deputies.
The 17 chairmen and their deputies comprise five newly elected chairmen and 12 chairmen returning for a second tenure, while five women emerged as deputy chairmen.

Governor Mbah charged them to see their election as a call to service and not merely as a political achievement, stressing that the people must remain at the centre of their administration.
He directed the chairmen and their deputies to relocate to and administer their councils from their respective local government areas, saying effective grassroots governance could not be conducted remotely.

Gov Mbah and Chairmen and their Deputies

He urged them to hit the ground running by identifying the immediate needs of their people and delivering projects and programmes capable of improving their quality of life.

Mbah also charged the council leaders to align their programmes with the development agenda of his administration, particularly in the areas of education, rural infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, economic empowerment and employment creation.

The governor stressed the need for innovative approaches to governance, urging the newly inaugurated chairmen and Deputies to explore ways of addressing challenges confronting their communities while creating opportunities for the people.
He said the era of local government officials governing their people from urban centres or through proxies should end, directing the chairmen to maintain a strong presence in their respective communities.Mbah urged them to be physically closer to the people, and deliver people-centred projects and programmes .

The chairmen are John Ogbodo, Nkanu West; Mike Ogbuekwe, Nkanu East; Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, Aninri; Jude Chinedu Asogwa, Nsukka; Caleb Ani, Enugu South; Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze, Igboeze South; Brendan Emeka Ani, Isi-Uzo; Ibenaku Onoh, Enugu North; Martin Amadieze, Igbo-Etiti; and Innocent Ezeoha, Udenu.

Others are Chris Onyekachi Simon, Igboeze North; Chijioke Ezeugwu, Uzo Uwani; Hyginus Agu, Udi; Uche Okolo, Awgu; Beloved Dan Anike, Enugu East; Greg Anyaegbudike, Oji River; and Vitals Ndu, Ezeagu.

Responding on behalf of the chairmen, the re-elected Chairman of Igboeze South Local Government Area and Deputy Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Enugu State, Hon. Ferdinand Ukwueze, thanked the people of the state and Mbah for giving them the privilege to serve.

He said some of them, who had previously served under Mbah, had acquired valuable experience during the period and pledged the commitment of the chairmen to good governance and expressed confidence that, at the end of their tenure, they would be proud of their contributions to the development of Enugu State.

“For those of us that were privileged to serve under your leadership in the past two years, I can tell you that the knowledge gained, experience acquired cannot be measured in words.

“We want to sincerely commit and recommit ourselves to the course of your good governance so that at the end of our tenure, we will be proud that Enugu State gave you the opportunity to groom us to what we are actually becoming,” he said.

In an interview,the Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Mike Ogbuekwe, pledged that his administration would take the governor’s charge seriously and make the council a centre of development.
Ogbuekwe said the people should expect increased activities in the council, particularly efforts aimed at transforming rural communities and bringing urban facilities and opportunities closer to residents.
“We are going to govern from our local government. You will see a lot of activities. We will see how we are going to urbanise our rural areas,” he said.

Speaking also, the Ezeagu Local Government Area, the Deputy Chairman, Hon. Mrs Nkiru Ugwuagu, Ph.D., expressed gratitude to Governor Mbah and the people of Ezeagu for giving the leadership another mandate.
Ugwuagu described her return to office as both an honour and a responsibility, noting that being among the 34 elected chairmen and deputy chairmen in the state was a privilege that came with an obligation to serve.

Hon Mrs Nkiru Ugwuagu, Ph.D, Deputy Chairman, Ezeagu Local Government Area,

“Today, I feel so good, I feel so elated that out of about seven million citizens of Enugu State, I was among the 34 people chosen to serve. Meaning, today, we were told to go and serve. The people have elected us and all we need to do is to serve them,” she said.

She disclosed that their first tenure focused substantially on Infrastructural development, including the construction of Smart Schools, while the new tenure would place greater emphasis on the wellbeing of the people.

According to her, healthcare, poverty reduction and people-centred programmes would receive greater attention .
“Now, we are going to focus on the wellbeing of the people, their health. We heard what the governor said. By the special grace of God, we are going to make sure that poverty will be eradicated ,” Ugwuagu said.

On his part, the Chairman of Igboeze South Local Government Area and Deputy Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Ferdinand Ugwueze, said his administration had established a foundation for development during its first tenure and will build on it..

Chairman , Igboeze North Local Government Area and Deputy ALGON chairman, Hon Ferdinand Ugwueze

Speaking too, the chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area,Hon Caleb Ani ,thanked the people for voting him in for second term. He also thanked Governor Mbah for his support.

He said that their priority in the second tenure would be to build on the foundation already laid and expand the programmes and development initiatives already established for the people.

Similarly, the Chairman of Igboeze North Local Government Area, Dr Collins pledged to work with all political and community leaders in the Local Government Area in order to achieve the objectives of his administration.

He also spoke on mobilisation for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying he would leverage his relationship with the people and his previous interventions, including scholarship support, to mobilise them.
“I am going to mobilise well,” he said.

Speaking also with Newsmen, the APC State Chairman, Dr Martin Chukwunwike, expressed satisfaction with the party’s performance in the September 26 local government election in which the party won all the 17 local government chairmanship positions.

He expressed optimism that the party will win in the 2027 general elections and urged the newly inaugurated chairmen and their Deputies to work with the party’s leadership and other stakeholders at the grassroots.

On his part, the Deputy Chairman of APC,South,Dr Ben Nwoye thanked the people of the state for their support. He expressed confidence that the APC will win the 2027 general elections, adding that the local government elections is a testament to that . Dr Nwonye urged the local government chairmen to align with the programs of Governor Peter Mbah and deliver good governance to the people.He urged party members and supporters to vote for the APC from top to bottom in the 2027 elections.

Uzo-Uwani local government chairman, Hon Chijioke Ezugwu in an interview also thanked Governor Mbah for his support, he also thanked the people of Uzo-Uwani local government area for voting for him to serve them. He said lots were achieved in his first tenure and this second, will be consolidation of what was achieved.

On what people of Uzo-Uwani should expect from him this second tenure, Hon Ezugwu said, “I don’t think there is nothing I cannot do for my People. During my first tenure, Uzo-Uwani was not passable. Equally, they fell out of their prestige as the food basket of the state and when I came we fought insecurity ,Uzo- Uwani has regained it’s prestige as the food basket of Enugu state . I am going to make sure that Uzo-Uwani is going to be uncomfortable for those bad people and God of Uzo-Uwani is going to fight His battle. His Excellency has given me the mandate and Almighty God has sanctioned it. By God’s grace success will be ours.’

Also speaking with newsmen, Rt. Hon. Okolo Okechukwu of Akpakumenze , noted the enthusiasm surrounding the inauguration, saying people from across Enugu were interested in witnessing the inauguration.
He urged the local government chairmen to emulate Governor Mbah by focusing on visible development and delivering tangible results for the people.

Okechukwu noted that the pace of development in Enugu State (less than four years) demonstrated that meaningful projects could be delivered within a relatively short period when leadership remained focused on development.

With five new chairmen joining 12 returning chairmen, and five women serving as deputy chairmen, they are expected to align with the development agenda of Governor Peter Mbah administration.

The event was witnessed by some members of the state Executive council, political appointees, family members and friends of the Local Government chairmen and their Deputies.