…..Warns the Governor Against the Use of Top Military Officers from Enugu West Zone in Political Theatrics.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and also a senatorial aspirant of the party in Enugu West Senatorial Zone, Chief Hon. Fortune Ogbonna, has cautioned Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu against the use of Enugu’s finest military personnel, especially the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, to play politics, as it portrays the state in a bad light.
Recall that Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, on Tuesday, took some leaders of the state to the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, for political engagements ahead of the 2027 election, where he tagged it an “appreciation visit,” which had some crème de la crème of the state, including the Chief of Air Staff.
Reacting to the said visit, Hon. Ogbonna stated that the act is a mockery of the state and a charade, which top military personnel from the state, especially from Enugu West Senatorial Zone, should not be part of.
He stated that the development is not only politically insensitive but also capable of eroding the neutrality expected of top-ranking military officers, stressing that such involvement drags respected institutions into partisan controversies and diminishes public trust in governance.
He argued that Enugu State should be known for discipline and institutional integrity, not for what he described as political theatre involving uniformed officers at partisan gatherings.
According to him, “What we saw at the Presidential Villa is unfortunate and deeply concerning. It is not about appreciation; it is about optics and misuse of influence. When serving or highly ranked military officers are placed in the middle of political pilgrimages, it sends the wrong message to younger officers and the public. Enugu has produced some of the finest military minds in Nigeria, and they should not be dragged into activities that blur the line between duty and politics. This is a dangerous precedent that undermines professionalism, weakens institutional neutrality, and exposes our state to unnecessary national ridicule. Leadership must be guided by restraint, not spectacle.”
Hon. Ogbonna further elaborated that governance should be separated from political grandstanding, warning that repeated acts of this nature could normalize the politicization of security institutions.
“Governor Mbah’s focus should remain on delivering democratic dividends to the people rather than assembling political delegations dressed as state representation. As a political leader from Enugu West Senatorial District, we cannot allow our own to be used in playing political theatrics.”
He insisted that Enugu West and the entire state deserve a higher standard of political conduct, urging leaders to prioritize national interest over personal or partisan displays; adding that, the credibility of public office is best preserved when restraint is exercised, especially in matters involving sensitive national institutions like the military.