(Governor Peter Mbah. Photo by The Sun Nigeria)
The African Democratic Congress in Enugu State has criticized Governor Peter Mbah for appointing one of its House of Representatives candidates as an aide.
Chinedu Onyeagba, the ADC candidate for Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, was among 101 aides recently appointed by the governor.
The appointments included seven Special Advisers, six Senior Special Assistants and 88 Special Assistants.
The ADC Caretaker Secretary in Enugu State said the move was politically questionable but commended Onyeagba for turning down the position.
He questioned the timing of the appointments and said it was tied to the 2027 governorship election.
He said the governor is finishing his time and knows people in Enugu no longer want him.
He referenced how the governor demolished properties at Ogige Market Nsukka, Old Park Enugu, Holy Ghost Enugu and Gariki.
He said people in Enugu can no longer cope with his policies, particularly his harsh taxation rules.
Even if the governor appointed all Nollywood actors and actresses as aides, he would still lose the 2027 election, he said.
The ADC official also alleged the appointments aimed to build the governor’s political structure for the 2027 election.
He raised concerns about the money involved, noting that the latest batch came just three weeks after the governor appointed 23 other aides.
He said in less than one month, the Governor of Enugu appointed 124 aides.
He called this appointment wave in Enugu a cause for concern.
Appointing 124 aides with multiple media roles and vague advisory jobs when the current administration is winding down is executive recklessness, he said.
There is no reason beyond political strategy for this number of appointments, he added.
The governor only wants to regain his dropping political clout and rally grassroots backing for his 2027 re-election bid.
The ADC official said the salaries and allowances for these jobs would strain the state’s finances.
He noted that under Mbah, Enugu State’s debt shot up by over 128 percent, rising from N82.5 billion he inherited in May 2023 to N188.42 billion by early 2026.
