More than 30,000 teachers in Enugu State have endorsed Governor Peter Mbah for a second term and President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027. The Teachers for Grassroots Movement (TGM) said improvements in teachers’ welfare, recruitment and school infrastructure informed its decision.
The movement announced its position during an endorsement rally at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday. Thousands of teachers reportedly marched through parts of the state capital before gathering for the event.
The rally attracted political leaders, traditional rulers, education stakeholders, labour representatives and government officials. Attendees included former deputy governors Sunday Onyebuchi and Ralph Nwoye, APC Deputy National Chairman (South) Ben Nwoye and APC Enugu State Chairman Martins Chukwunweike.
Others included House of Representatives member Chimobi Atu, the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Traditional Rulers Council Chairman Igwe Samuel Asadu and chairmen of the state’s 17 local government areas. Representatives of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also attended.
The endorsement reflects the position announced by the participating movement and groups. It does not establish the voting intentions of every teacher in Enugu State.
Enugu NUT Chairman Cites Teachers’ Welfare Improvements
Enugu State NUT Chairman Theophilus Odo said the union was satisfied with what he described as improvements in teachers’ welfare under Mbah’s administration. He highlighted changes to retirement benefits, salary payments, outstanding promotions and teacher recruitment.
Odo also cited training programmes and professional development opportunities as measures supporting the teaching profession. He commended the construction of Smart Green Schools, saying the facilities could help teachers and pupils compete with their counterparts elsewhere.
According to Odo, Mbah supported the domestication of harmonised retirement benefits for teachers before becoming governor. He said the administration had also recruited thousands of teachers, with further recruitment ongoing.
The NUT chairman subsequently declared support for Mbah’s second-term ambition ahead of the 2027 governorship election. His remarks placed teachers’ welfare and education infrastructure at the centre of the endorsement.
The issue of employment and access to opportunities has also featured in other state-related coverage, including this report on how FG jobs could become accessible without connections.
Teachers for Grassroots Movement Explains Its Endorsement
TGM Director-General and rally convener Nwakaego Ajah said the movement backed Mbah because of what she described as a shift towards innovation, self-reliance and economic development through education.
Ajah traced some of the challenges facing basic education to funding gaps and declining standards. She argued that the Smart Green Schools initiative represented an attempt to address longstanding problems in the sector.
She also recounted how a friend living overseas had initially doubted the government’s ability to complete many of the proposed schools. According to Ajah, the friend changed his position after she shared updates showing the projects’ progress.
Ajah said the administration had moved beyond campaign promises by pursuing school construction, teacher recruitment and professional training. She described these efforts as reasons for teachers to support the governor.
The TGM director-general said the movement would take its message to communities, staff rooms, parent-teacher associations, school-based management committees, markets and polling units. She also declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ajah added that TGM had coordinators across Enugu’s 17 local government areas and political wards. The movement intends to use its grassroots structure to mobilise support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Enugu Government Highlights Smart Schools and Teacher Recruitment
Education Commissioner and TGM patron Ndubueze Leonard Mbah said the rally reflected support for the administration’s education policies. He also expressed the view that the programmes should continue beyond 2027.
The commissioner said the government had established 269 Smart Grade Schools, installed 6,500 smart boards and provided 269,000 school uniforms. He added that the administration was planning Smart Senior Secondary Schools across the state’s 17 local government areas.
He further disclosed plans to establish eight technical and vocational education and training colleges, alongside two new universities. These proposed institutions form part of the government’s stated efforts to expand educational and technical training opportunities.
According to the commissioner, the government had authorised the recruitment of at least 6,500 additional teachers for its Smart Grade Schools. He described the recruitment drive as part of a broader effort to strengthen the education system and expand access to learning.
The figures presented at the rally formed part of the administration’s account of its education programmes. Related reporting has also examined the governor’s broader development claims in Peter Mbah’s account of more than 10,000 achievements.
NAPPS Says Smart Green Schools Are Raising Education Standards
Enugu NAPPS Chairman Nelson Agu said the introduction of Smart Green Schools had placed pressure on private school operators to improve their facilities and standards. He described the participation of private school teachers in the rally as significant.
Agu also cited the government’s reported allocation of 33 per cent of its budget to education for three consecutive years. He argued that the public investment had encouraged private schools to review their facilities and maintain competitive standards.
The claim about budget allocations was made by Agu during the event. The rally statement did not provide budget documents or an independent breakdown of the allocations.
The participation of private school representatives highlighted the relationship between public education investment and standards across the wider education sector. However, the extent of any changes in private schools would require separate evidence.
TUC Chairman Praises Government’s Investment
Enugu State TUC Chairman Simeon Akaeme also commended the administration’s investment in infrastructure and social services. He said the government’s interventions had contributed to restoring the dignity of teachers.
His remarks echoed the central message of the rally, where participants linked education funding and teachers’ welfare to the state’s development agenda. The event brought together representatives of education, labour and political organisations.
Education and infrastructure have featured prominently in other assessments of Enugu’s economic ambitions. For additional context, readers can see NACCIMA’s comments on Enugu’s security and $30 billion economic ambition.
Mbah Says Teachers Are Central to Enugu’s Development
Governor Peter Mbah said the endorsement was significant because teachers play a major role in implementing education reforms. He argued that the success of his administration’s wider development plans depended partly on the performance of the education sector.
Mbah said his ambition to grow Enugu’s economy, attract investment and improve business, tourism and living standards required a stronger education system. He cited the construction of more than 7,000 classrooms, the provision of computers and tablets, school uniforms and free meals as examples of government interventions.
The governor thanked teachers for their contribution to educating children. He said the transformation of the state’s education system would depend substantially on their work.
Mbah also credited President Tinubu’s economic reforms with increasing the resources available to state governments for infrastructure and development projects. He linked the additional resources to efforts to expand educational facilities in Enugu.
The governor’s remarks placed the teachers’ endorsement within his administration’s broader development agenda. Other reports have examined related initiatives, including efforts to sustain Enugu’s development gains.
Nkechinyere Mbah Commends Teachers’ Contributions
The governor’s wife, Nkechinyere Mbah, also commended teachers for their role in the state’s education reforms. Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development Ngozi Enih represented her at the rally.
Enih described the endorsement as recognition of an administration that had placed education at the centre of its development agenda. Her remarks reinforced the focus on schools, teachers and educational infrastructure throughout the event.
The rally also highlighted the role of professional development and access to technical skills in preparing pupils for future opportunities. These issues remain relevant to wider discussions about employment and economic growth in Enugu.
Related reports include CSDA’s community sensitisation and participatory rural appraisal exercise and Enugu’s efforts to sustain development programmes.
TGM Membership and Rally Attendance Figures
Ajah put TGM’s membership at more than 30,000, while reports of the rally indicated that more than 12,000 teachers took part in the march and gathering. The figures refer to different measures and should not be treated as identical.
The movement declared support for Mbah’s second-term bid and Tinubu’s re-election campaign. Its leaders said they intended to mobilise supporters across communities and political wards ahead of the 2027 general election.
However, the endorsement does not independently establish how all teachers in Enugu State intend to vote. The views expressed at the rally represent the participating groups and individuals.
The event ended with calls for continuity in the state’s education policies. TGM members pledged to mobilise support for Mbah and Tinubu as political activities ahead of 2027 continue.
For more coverage of Enugu’s development agenda, readers can also follow reports on the Guild of Editors’ tour of Mbah’s projects, grassroots development in Igbo-Eze South and the state’s wider development efforts.
The rally’s central message was support for the continuation of the administration’s education programmes. Whether that endorsement translates into wider electoral support will be determined by voters in the 2027 elections.
