The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State has publicly condemned Governor Peter Mbah’s recent appointment of 101 aides, a move that includes the party’s own House of Representatives candidate, Hon. Chinedu Onyeagba, as a special assistant. The appointments were announced in a public service notice signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and took effect immediately.
According to the notice, the new team comprises seven Special Advisers, six Senior Special Assistants and 88 Special Assistants. The appointments were made just three weeks after the governor had previously named 23 aides, bringing the total number of newly appointed officials to 124 within a single month.
“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,” said Comrade Adolphus Ude, the ADC caretaker secretary in Enugu State.
Ude praised Onyeagba for rejecting the appointment and warned that the timing of the hires suggests a political strategy aimed at bolstering Mbah’s support ahead of the 2027 governorship election. He added that the surge in appointments would increase the state’s recurrent expenditure, diverting funds away from infrastructure projects and potentially forcing the government to borrow to meet salary obligations.
Financial data cited by the ADC shows that Enugu’s debt rose sharply under Mbah’s administration, climbing from N82.5 billion in May 2023 to N188.42 billion by early 2026 – an increase of more than 128 percent. Ude cautioned that the added payroll costs for the new aides could exacerbate the state’s fiscal pressure, especially if federal allocations decline.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
