The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all chairmanship and councillorship seats contested in the September 26 Local Government Election in Enugu State.
The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) conducted elections into the 17 chairmanship and 260 ward councillorship positions across the state on Saturday.
Declaring the results at the commission’s headquarters in Enugu on Sunday, the Chairman of ENSIEC, Prof. Christian Ngwu, said the election was free and fair.
Ngwu said the exercise was conducted in accordance with the rules guiding the commission. He added that certificates of return were subsequently issued to the winners.
APC Sweeps 17 Enugu Local Government Chairmanship Seats
The results showed a sweeping victory for the APC. Its candidates emerged victorious across the 17 local government areas and all 260 councillorship positions contested.
In several local government areas, APC candidates recorded overwhelming margins, with opposition parties trailing with minimal votes.
In Udenu, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas, for instance, APC chairmanship candidates secured virtually all the votes cast, with some emerging unopposed after other political parties withdrew from the contests.
The victory means 12 of the elected chairmen are returning for a second term, while five are taking charge of their respective local government councils for the first time.
Kingsley Udeh Links APC Victory to Governance Ahead of 2027
Reacting to the outcome, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, SAN, described the APC’s landslide victory as a reflection of what he said could happen in the 2027 general elections.
Udeh said the result was also a testament to what he described as good governance by APC administrations at the grassroots, state and federal levels.
According to him, the 2027 elections would provide another opportunity for voters to assess and endorse the administration’s performance.
“The 2027 elections will be further endorsements and confirmation that what we started doing in the first tenure. We will take them even further more in the second term which the elections of 2027 will guarantee.”
Udeh congratulated the re-elected chairmen and the newly elected chairmen, charging them to sustain good governance and emulate the leadership style of Governor Peter Mbah.
Ugo Ukwueze Celebrates Second-Term Victory in Igbo-Eze South
The Deputy Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu State, and returning Chairman of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze, attributed his re-election to what he described as the confidence of the people in the APC administration.
Ukwueze thanked the people of Igbo-Eze South for demonstrating what he described as their love and confidence in him and the party.
He noted that the absence of opposition candidates was an indication of the party’s acceptance in the area. While highlighting infrastructure, human empowerment, security and social services as areas of focus under the administration’s development agenda.
He said the government was also working to urbanise developing areas. Creating opportunities for young people to realise their potential.
On the 2027 general elections, Ukwueze said he believed the people of Igbo-Eze South would support the continuation of what he described as good governance by the APC administration in the state.
“Of course, you don’t change the winning team. If you look at the trajectory in Enugu State, you will realise that incrementally, prayers are being answered through service delivery to the people of Enugu State.”
Also, he added that he was “emboldened” and “encouraged” by the election result and would lead the campaign for the APC in Igbo-Eze South in 2027.
Caleb Ani Attributes Enugu APC Victory to Mbah’s Development Projects
The returning Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area, Chief Caleb Ani, also attributed the APC’s victory to the developmental projects of Governor Peter Mbah.
Speaking after collecting his certificate of return, Ani said the governor’s performance contributed to the overwhelming victory recorded by APC candidates across the state.
“Gov. Mbah has done well in all ramifications, this is partly why the APC candidates won overwhelmingly.”
Ani urged residents of Enugu State to support Governor Mbah in the 2027 general election, saying his continued administration would enable him to sustain and expand his development programmes.
Mike Ogbuekwe Promises Agricultural Development in Nkanu East
Unlike the returning chairmen, Mike Chikosolu Ogbuekwe is among the five chairmen-elect taking over their councils for the first time.
The APC candidate, who was declared chairman-elect of Nkanu East Local Government Area, said his victory represented an opportunity to directly work with the people and implement his vision for the local economy.
Ogbuekwe, whose professional background has focused substantially on rural economic development and agriculture, said agriculture would be one of the major priorities of his administration.
He said he planned to develop more farm estates, make them profitable and sustainable, and use them to create livelihoods for residents.
“Coming in as the chairman of Nkanu East that has arable land, I will focus a lot of energy on developing more farm estates, getting the farm estates to work, getting the farm estates to be profitable and sustainable, thereby giving a lot of funds and livelihood to the people in the rural area.”
Ogbuekwe also spoke of developing market linkages and making local markets more attractive to buyers, with the broader objective of positioning Nkanu East as a major producer and potential net exporter of agricultural products.
He said agriculture would be one component of a wider seven-point development agenda he intends to pursue during his tenure.
Innocent Ezeoha Pledges Focus on Agriculture, Education and Health in Udenu
Another first-term chairman-elect, Hon. Dr Innocent Ezeoha, described his emergence in Udenu Local Government Area as a special moment, noting that other political parties withdrew from the contest after he emerged as the APC candidate.
Ezeoha said his administration would draw inspiration from Governor Peter Mbah’s development programmes in the state.
“I will have to follow the footsteps of our governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, who has been doing very well in the state. Udenu will be great again.”
He identified agriculture, education and health as key areas of focus for his administration.
Ezeoha also urged the people of Udenu to support the state government’s development agenda, promising to replicate what he described as the governor’s developmental trajectory in the local government.
Enugu APC Chairman Chukwunweike Hails Victory
The APC Chairman in Enugu State, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, described the party’s performance at the local government polls as evidence of its growing strength in the state.
Chukwunweike said the party would continue to support the development efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
He also projected continued electoral success for the APC in the 2027 general elections, attributing the party’s prospects to what he described as the performance of its administrations.
“We will not rest as we push the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and our amiable governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for the world to see.”
He added that Tinubu, Mbah and other APC candidates would be seeking re-election in 2027.
APC Set to Take Over Enugu Councils After Certificates of Return
With ENSIEC’s declaration of the results and issuance of certificates of return, the APC has secured control of all 17 local government councils and the 260 ward councillorship positions in the September 26 election.
The outcome marks a significant development in the political composition of Enugu’s local government administration, with eleven chairmen returning for another term and six elected to serve their first terms.
The newly elected councils are expected to assume office following the completion of the required transition and swearing-in processes.This version deliberately keeps the commission’s declaration at the top, places the minister’s statewide political reaction ahead of individual chairmen, then separates returning chairmen from first-term chairmen-elect. It also avoids prematurely describing the new chairmen as having assumed office before their formal swearing-in.
Second-Tenure Chairmen and Their LGAs
- Aninri
Ugochukwu Nwanjoku - Awgu
Okolo Uchenna Joseph - Enugu East
Beloved-Dan Anike - Enugu North
Ibenaku Harford Onoh - Enugu South
Caleb Ani - Ezeagu
Dr. Vitalis Chinedu Ndu - Igbo-Eze South
Barr. Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze - Nkanu West
Hon. John Ogbodo - Nsukka
Jude Chinedu Asogwa - Oji River
Gregory (Greg) Anyaegbudike - Udi
Engr. Hyginus Agu - Uzo-Uwani
Chijioke Ezeugwu
First-Tenure Chairmen and Their LGAs
- Igbo-Etiti
Martin Amadieze - Igbo-Eze North
Chris Onyekachi Simon - Isi-Uzo
Ani Brendan Emeka - Nkanu East
Engr. Mike Chikosolu Ogbuekwe - Udenu
Dr. Ezeoha Innocent
