The African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Enugu State has criticised Governor Peter Mbah over the appointment of one of its House of Representatives candidates, Hon. Chinedu Onyeagba, as an aide.
Onyeagba, the ADC candidate for Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, was among 101 aides recently appointed by Mbah.
The appointments were contained in a public service announcement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia.
According to Onyia, the appointments comprised seven Special Advisers, six Senior Special Assistants and 88 Special Assistants, all of which took immediate effect.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, the ADC Caretaker Secretary in Enugu State, Comrade Adolphus Ude, commended Onyeagba for rejecting the appointment.
Ude also questioned the timing of the appointments and expressed concern over their potential financial implications for the state.
“Someone does not ask somebody returning from the market to help him buy something, but the person going to the market.
“Governor Mbah is returning from the market. His reign is coming to an end. He knows that the people of Enugu State no longer want him. Who are those going to vote for him in 2027? Is it those that he demolished their properties at Ogige Market Nsukka or Old Park Enugu, Holy Ghost Enugu or Gariki?
“He knows that people in Enugu can no longer bear his policies, particularly his ruthless and inhuman taxation policies. Even if he appoints all the Nollywood actors and actresses, and other celebrities in Nigeria as aides, he will still lose re-election,” Ude said.
He alleged that the latest appointments were linked to what he described as Mbah’s concern over the 2027 governorship election and his declining political support in the state.
Ude also argued that the appointments would increase the state’s recurrent expenditure and reduce funds available for infrastructure development.
“Enugu ADC condemns the recent appointment of 101 aides by Governor Peter Mbah at the twilight of his current administration. The latest appointments were announced three weeks after the appointment of 23 aides by the Governor.
“It means that in less than one month, the Governor of Enugu State has appointed 124 aides. This appointment bazaar going on in Enugu State calls for concern.
“The appointment of 124 aides with multiple communication and media portfolios and vague advisory roles when the current Peter Mbah administration is winding-up is sheer executive recklessness.
“Beyond political strategy, there is no rationale whatsoever for this quantum of appointments. The Governor is only interested in regaining his dwindling political influence and mobilising grassroots support across sectors for his re-election and nothing more,” he said.
The ADC official further claimed that salaries and allowances for the aides could place additional pressure on the state treasury.
He warned that increased recurrent expenditure could make the state more vulnerable to a decline in allocations from the Federation Account and potentially force the government to borrow to meet its overhead obligations.
“Already, under Mbah, the debt of Enugu State surged by over 128 percent, climbing from N82.5 billion he inherited in May 2023 to N188.42 billion by early 2026. One could imagine what will happen in the near future when the state borrows to pay the newly appointed aides of the Governor,” Ude said.
