Despite a heavy downpour, residents of Nkerefi in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State turned out in large numbers as the Grand Finale of the Mmirioma Campaign Trail moved through Ward 2 before rounding off at Ward 1, bringing the campaign’s ward-to-ward mobilisation to a close ahead of the September 26 local government election.
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The campaign was organised in support of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Nkanu East, Hon. Engr. Mike Ogbuekwe, popularly known as “Mmirioma Na Nkanu,” and attracted party leaders, government officials, community stakeholders, women, youths and supporters from across the local government.
The Grand Finale also drew members and supporters of the Ije Awele Movement, Mike Aninwogbu Support Group for Mmirioma, G17, Odoziobodo Movement alongside other community-based support groups, political associates and grassroots mobilisation structures who joined the campaign train in solidarity with the APC chairmanship candidate.
The homecoming was particularly significant for Ogbuekwe, whose campaign train arrived in his hometown of Nkerefi on the final day of the exercise. Nkerefi comprises the four communities of Imeoha, Enuogu, Isienu Amofu and Ohuani Amofu.
Receiving the campaign train first at Ward 2, residents and stakeholders held prayers and traditional kolanut rites before the political engagement commenced. The gathering featured the Deputy Chairmanship candidate, Hon. Paul Okwor; Director-General of the Campaign Council, Prince Chukwuemeka Nwatu; APC Chairman in Nkanu East, Hon. Abel Nwigwe; Chairman of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission, Prof. GOC Ajah; Deputy Director-General, Prince Arinze Arum; APC State Youth Leader, Hon. Basil Ojengwa; Hon. Prince Ejeh Josh, Special Adviser to the Governor on Research and Documentation, and other party leaders and government functionaries.
Speaking during the Ward 2 engagement, Hon. Prince Ejeh Josh, alongside other stakeholders, called on the people of Nkerefi to acknowledge the development and political inclusion they said they had witnessed under the administration of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
Josh specifically pointed to the participation of people from Nkerefi in government appointments and political responsibilities, describing the emergence of Ogbuekwe as the APC chairmanship candidate as another significant development for the community.
He urged residents to support Ogbuekwe and the APC councillorship candidates in the September 26 election, while also calling for continued support for the party’s candidates in subsequent elections.
Other speakers, including Barr. Mrs. Ngozi Ogbonna, Chief Johnson Ezeh and Prof. GOC Ajah, also expressed appreciation to Governor Mbah and urged the electorate to maintain support for the APC political structure.
The APC Nkanu East Chairman, Hon. Abel Nwigwe, presented the party flag to the Ward 2 councillorship candidate, Hon. Jacob Nwobodo, while the campaign council led by Prince Chukwuemeka Nwatu presented ₦1 million to the ward.
Addressing the gathering, Ogbuekwe thanked the people of Nkerefi for turning out despite the rain, describing the reception as a deeply meaningful moment in his campaign journey. He acknowledged the role of Governor Mbah’s administration in the development conversation across Nkanu East and said his administration, if elected, would build on the developmental direction already established by the governor.
From Ward 2, the campaign train proceeded to Ward 1, where it was again received by party faithful, community leaders, women and youths.
The Ward 1 reception featured the Executive Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area and ALGON Chairman, Rt. Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh; Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Hon. Barr. Chimaobi Okolie; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Hon. Monday Diamond Ani; former Nkanu East Council Chairman, Rt. Hon. Ikechukwu Ubagu, as well as other political and community stakeholders.
Welcoming the campaign train, the Ward Chairman, Hon. Onovo, expressed appreciation to Governor Mbah and the APC leadership for the emergence of Ogbuekwe, describing the candidate as a son of the soil and expressing confidence in his capacity to serve the people of Nkanu East.
At the Ward 1 gathering, speakers including Hon. Sunnytex, Hon. Sunday Ezeh, Chief Patrick Njoku, Ijenwata, Mrs. Egbo Nwaonu, Mrs. Agnes and Engr. Ndubuisi Ani commended the level of participation and expressed support for Ogbuekwe and the APC candidates.
Prof. GOC Ajah, in his remarks, also assured Ogbuekwe of the support of the people of Nkerefi, while appreciating Governor Mbah for what he described as his administration’s recognition and inclusion of Nkerefi in governance. He noted that the people had a reason to celebrate the political moment and expressed confidence that Ogbuekwe would set a good record by following the developmental direction associated with Governor Mbah’s administration.
Prof. Ajah also referenced his own confirmation as Chairman of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission, further underscoring the participation of Nkerefi indigenes in the state’s governance structure. He called for continued support for Governor Mbah and the APC candidates.
Speaking on behalf of several community stakeholders, Chief Reuben Onwuka thanked the people for their support for Ogbuekwe and emphasised the importance of people-centred governance, particularly programmes that directly improve the welfare and economic wellbeing of residents.
The CSDA Chairman, Hon. Monday Diamond Ani, also presented ₦1 million to the ward and urged continued prayers and support for Ogbuekwe.
Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Hon. Barr. Chimaobi Okolie, acknowledged the participation of women and youths and said the gathering reflected the political engagement taking place across Nkanu East. He also announced financial support for women across the nine villages represented at the event.
The APC Chairman, Hon. Abel Nwigwe, subsequently presented the party flag to the Ward 1 councillorship candidate, Hon. Edeh Chukwuemeka, while urging party supporters to vote for the APC candidates.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Nkanu East, Rt. Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, acknowledged the campaign structure and stakeholders for sustaining the mobilisation and called for continued support for Ogbuekwe.
Across the two wards, the campaign engagements were marked by repeated expressions of appreciation for Governor Peter Mbah, with speakers highlighting what they described as his administration’s development initiatives and inclusion of people from Nkerefi and other parts of Nkanu East in government.
Some speakers also extended their appeal beyond the local government election, calling for support for the APC political structure from the presidential level through Governor Mbah and other party candidates in subsequent elections.
For Ogbuekwe, however, the final day carried a personal significance beyond the politics of the campaign.
Reflecting on his homecoming, he expressed gratitude to the people of Nkerefi for the love, prayers, encouragement and support shown to him throughout the campaign, noting that the journey from community to community and ward to ward had allowed him to meet residents, listen to their concerns and better understand their expectations for Nkanu East.
He also acknowledged the appreciation expressed by his people for Governor Mbah’s administration and the development they said they had witnessed in Nkerefi.
The APC candidate said the conclusion of the campaign did not mark the end of his commitment to the people, but rather the beginning of a new phase of responsibility.
With the campaign train having moved from Ward 2 to Ward 1 in Nkerefi, the Mmirioma Campaign Trail formally brought its ward-to-ward mobilisation to a close, leaving the campaign message centred on continuity, grassroots engagement and the promise of a new chapter for Nkanu East.
As Ogbuekwe put it in his closing reflection: “The campaign may have ended, but our commitment to Ndi Nkanu East continues. Together, we move forward. Tomorrow Is Here!”
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