_...A Testimony to Governor Peter Mbah’s Development Strides, Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah’s Grassroots Vision and the Cooperation of Enugu’s 17 Local Government Chairmen_
BY OGENE ROMANUS CHIZOBA
The recently concluded statewide tour of G-17 For Peter Mbah across the 17 Local Government Areas of Enugu State has been described as a resounding success, following the successful inauguration of Local Government Executives, Ward Executives and Polling Unit Canvassers across all 17 councils and 260 political wards of the state.
The exercise, which culminated in a colourful grand finale in Nkanu East Local Government Area, was not merely a political tour but a major demonstration of grassroots organisation, stakeholder cooperation and coordinated mobilisation, attracting Local Government Chairmen, APC leaders, elected representatives, political appointees, former public office holders, women and youth leaders and thousands of grassroots stakeholders across Enugu State.
The successful completion of the tour has become a significant testimony to the enabling environment provided by the administration of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the organisational vision and determination of the Convener, Board of Trustees Chairman and Director-General of G-17 For Peter Mbah, Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah, and the cooperation received from the 17 Local Government Chairmen across the state.
From Enugu North to Enugu South, Enugu East to Nkanu East, and across the entire Enugu West and Nsukka political zones, G-17 was received by local government leadership and grassroots stakeholders who provided venues, security, logistics and other forms of support required for the successful inauguration of the structures.
The tour also produced several striking moments that underscored the growing recognition of the organisation at the grassroots.
In Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, the Executive Chairman, Hon. Engr. Michael Uche Ogalla, donated a brand-new operational bus to G-17 to support its grassroots activities and movement across the council.
In Nsukka, the Executive Chairman, Engr. Jude Chinedu Asogwa, formally signed the G-17 Endorsement Register and pledged his support for Governor Peter Mbah's re-election.
In Uzo-Uwani, the Executive Chairman, Hon. Barr. Chijioke Ezugwu, welcomed the movement and declared that the council had demonstrated its strength during the recent Enugu North Senatorial bye-election.
Across other councils, chairmen repeatedly described G-17 as a structured grassroots organisation capable of taking political engagement directly to communities, wards and polling units.
The support of the Local Government Chairmen became one of the defining features of the statewide tour. Their cooperation provided the movement with the necessary local platforms to engage grassroots stakeholders and establish its organisational structures.
At the grand finale in Nkanu East, the ALGON Chairman of Enugu State and Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, described G-17 as a leading support structure in the state and pledged continued cooperation with the movement, including beyond his tenure as council chairman.
The statewide exercise equally provided an opportunity for G-17 to demonstrate its distinctive organisational model.
Unlike conventional political support groups that may operate largely around personalities or periodic events, G-17 established formal structures at Local Government, Ward and Polling Unit levels. Its executives were inaugurated with specific responsibilities to maintain grassroots contact and mobilisation within their respective areas.
This structure became particularly visible during the tour, as newly inaugurated executives repeatedly pledged to return to their communities and begin door-to-door mobilisation.
For Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah, the completion of the 17-LGA tour represents the beginning of a larger assignment rather than the end of an event.
Throughout the tour, the G-17 Director-General consistently reminded newly inaugurated executives that their inauguration was not a ceremonial exercise but a call to service.
He charged them to move from community to community, ward to ward and polling unit to polling unit, maintaining direct contact with the electorate and communicating the development achievements and programmes of the administrations they support.
At the Nkanu East grand finale, Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah expressed gratitude to Governor Peter Mbah for creating the enabling environment that allowed the movement to undertake the ambitious statewide exercise.
He also thanked the 17 Local Government Chairmen for their cooperation and support, as well as the entire leadership of G-17 from the state level down to the grassroots.
The Director-General maintained that the successful completion of the tour demonstrated the capacity of the organisation to establish and coordinate a statewide grassroots structure within a relatively short period.
The tour also witnessed strong participation from women and youths, who featured prominently in the various Local Government inaugurations.
The National Women Leader of G-17, Hon. Princess Chinelo Ogbata Ejorh, repeatedly encouraged women to become active participants in the democratic process, particularly through voter registration and community engagement.
Similarly, the State Youth Leader, Hon. Nnamdi Odoh, used the various platforms to call on young people to take their place in grassroots mobilisation and political participation.
Another significant aspect of the tour was the participation of senior APC leaders and stakeholders.
State and zonal party leaders, commissioners, lawmakers, chairmanship candidates, former commissioners, former council chairmen and other political actors either attended the events or sent representatives.
At the Nkanu East grand finale, the South-East APC Women Leader, Dr. Mrs. Oby Ajih, described G-17 as a grassroots structure that had attracted attention beyond Enugu State, while Enugu State APC leaders commended its activities and expressed willingness to work with the movement.
The Enugu State APC Deputy Chairman, Hon. Amb. Peace Patrick, also highlighted the organisation's decision to maintain a distinct membership structure and avoid indiscriminately recruiting people already belonging to other support groups.
This, she noted, demonstrated discipline and helped G-17 maintain a clear identity and organisational purpose.
The tour equally became a platform for discussions on the developmental achievements of the administration of Governor Peter Mbah.
At virtually every Local Government Area, speakers highlighted projects in education, healthcare, roads, security, markets, water infrastructure and other sectors.
The G-17 leadership repeatedly pointed to Smart Green Schools, Type-C Primary Healthcare Centres, road construction and other interventions as examples of developments being discussed at the grassroots.
Federal projects and interventions under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were also highlighted, particularly where they directly affected Enugu communities.
The message emerging from the tour was therefore not limited to political mobilisation. It was also built around the need for grassroots stakeholders to understand government programmes and communicate them effectively to residents.
The 17-LGA tour has consequently left G-17 with a statewide organisational footprint covering all 17 Local Government Areas and 260 political wards.
More importantly, the exercise has created a network of grassroots executives and polling-unit canvassers expected to remain active within their communities rather than wait for election periods before engaging the electorate.
The successful completion of the tour is therefore being seen by supporters of the movement as a major milestone in the development of a coordinated grassroots political structure in Enugu State.
For Governor Peter Mbah, the cooperation extended by the 17 Local Government Chairmen provided an important foundation for the exercise.
For Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah, the successful tour represents the practical execution of a statewide grassroots vision.
And for the Local Government Chairmen, their participation demonstrated the importance of local leadership in creating the environment required for effective grassroots mobilisation.
The grand finale in Nkanu East ultimately brought together the different strands of the journey the G-17 leadership, Local Government Chairmen, APC stakeholders, women, youths, elected representatives and grassroots executives providing a fitting conclusion to a tour that traversed the entire state.
With the inauguration phase now completed, the real test begins: sustaining the structures, keeping the executives active and translating the statewide network into continuous community engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.
For G-17 For Peter Mbah, however, the 17-LGA tour has already established one clear point, that with the support of Governor Peter Mbah, the strategic leadership of Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah and the cooperation of the 17 Local Government Chairmen, a statewide grassroots structure can be built, coordinated and successfully deployed across all 260 wards of Enugu State.
The successful tour has thus become not only a political milestone for G-17 but a testimony to the power of coordinated leadership, grassroots participation and stakeholder collaboration in building a formidable statewide organisational network.
_Romanus Ogene is a Political Scientist/Analyst, Junior Member of The National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Associate Member of The Institute of Chartered Madiators and Conciliators of Nigeria (ICMC), A researcher, Peace Scholar and Good Governance Advocate_