On May 2, 2026 thousands of political royalists gathered in Nsukka Township stadium for the endorsement of governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for his second term bid.
The political endorsement rally in support of the governor was however met with protests in the area as few metres away from the venue of the rally, another group of women and youths staged a counter-demonstration to express their dissatisfaction with his administration.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that endorsement rally was organised by stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu North Senatorial Zone.
The endorsement rally which drew party members and political figures including former governors across the zone also featured support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Nevertheless, few minutes after the rally, hundreds of residents gathered in different parts of Nsukka in protest, calling the endorsement a charade.
The protesters rejected the endorsement, insisting it did not reflect the position of the wider population in the zone.
Our reporter gathered that these demonstrators, who identified themselves as Concerned Stakeholders said they were so much disappointed with the governor in the state.
According to them, the governor had not done enough in Enugu North to justify a second-term endorsement and bid.
One of the protesters who gave his name as Chijioke Onugwu told WITHIN NIGERIA that ” how can we endorse a governor that destroyed popular Ogige Main Market that feeds thousands of people in exchange of a bus terminal that does not work? How can we endorse a governor that has no ongoing road project or any project for that matter in the six local government areas that make up the zone? It is so much appalling and uncalled for.”
The protesters carried placards and chanted solidarity songs while outlining their grievances.
The protesters described the demolition of Ogige Main Market as a major disruption to local economic activities.
One of the protesters also alleged that “the market, which previously served as a key commercial hub, was replaced with a motor park and a fuel station, leaving many traders without a means of livelihood.
“The lock-up shops constructed after the demolition were insufficient and largely unaffordable for displaced traders. The access to the new shops had been limited to individuals with political connections, excluding many of the original occupants.”
The protesters also accused the state government of marginalising Enugu North despite its contribution to the governor’s electoral victory in 2023.
Mr. Justin Ugwu, one of the protesters alleged that ” the zone is made up of 46% of electoral strength of the state. Despite all this, the zone had not received adequate development projects compared to other parts of the state. The state is also bedeviled with high taxation. Imagine every shop in the state is forced to pay N36,000 every year as tax. This has greatly worsened living conditions and forced many small businesses to shot down.”
Economic concerns also featured prominently, with demonstrators alleging that increased taxation had worsened living conditions and forced some small businesses to shut down.
Leaders of the protest, who declined to be named, emphasised that their action was not driven by partisan interests. Instead, they said it was aimed at demanding accountability and improved governance.
According to them “We are not here to support any candidate. We will assess anyone seeking our votes in 2027 based on their performance.”
They maintained that the endorsement rally did not represent the collective will of the people of Enugu North, adding that the decision of who to support would ultimately be made by voters during the next election cycle.
WITHIN NIGERIA findings showed that this development has shown emerging political tensions in the state as early alignments and opposition begin to shape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
