Enugu DLA Guber Candidate, Ugwu, Unveils Manifesto

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu

The governorship candidate of the Democratic Leadership Alliance(DLA) for the 2027 election in Enugu State, Nnamdi Ugwu, has formally presented his manifesto,  saying that if he becomes governor his administration would usher in “the golden age of Enugu.”

He promised to build the economy of Enugu State “from less than $6 billion to $50 billion within four years, adding that he would bring about “the real change” the people have been yearning for.

Ugwu who is a lawyer, declared his readiness to vie    for the governorship seat at a press conference in Enugu during which he outlined his vision for a holistic development of Enugu, pinpointing what he would do sector by sector to achieve the overall goal.

He said that the planned $50 billion economy “is a covenant” with the people which he must keep, adding that the economy would be anchored on five pillars with each segment making a specific revenue contribution to grow the economy.

The DLA flag bearer, who was flanked by party executives and some of the party’s candidates for the 2027 poll, faulted the claims that Enugu has done well in internally generated revenue, describing it as a fluke “because a greater percentage of it is from federal allocation”.

“When FAAC stops, Enugu stops. When Abuja sneezes, Enugu catches cold,” he lamented, adding, “that is not economy. That is begging.”.

Outlining his five-pillar plan to grow Enugu from FAAC-dependent to Africa’s next economic power house”, the governorship hopeful said $50 billion economy is not magic. It is mathematics.”.

According to him, $12 billion  would be generated from agriculture and livestock; $10 billion Auto City project and manufacturing; $15 billion  from FDI and local investments; $5 billion from circular, gas and power economy, while human capital, services, tourism and ICT would contribute $8 billion to the state economy.

“We will do it without waiting for Abuja and we will do it by farming our land, not selling it. We will do it by building factories on our land, not sharing it to politicians. We will do it by making Enugu the safest place to put money in Africa,” he assured the people of Enugu.

Ugwu stressed that the biggest economy is not created with land but with brain hence the tertiary institutions in Enugu would be turned into “talent exporters” adding that “we will train 100,000 Enugu youths in software, AI, welding, auto-mechanics, nursing and certify them globally.”

Although DLA is a new entrant into Nigeria’s political space being among the political parties that were registered this year, the governorship candidate counted as an advantage.

 “My party is a brand new party without any stain. We’ve not offended anybody. It is a party founded on integrity,” he enthused.

On the issue of security the gubernatorial hopeful said that he would set a security outfit that would be well trained and equipped to effectively provide security to the people with humane disposition.

He rejected the idea of state police, saying that it  would eventually be abused by state governors who would use them against the peopl and their political opponents.

“I don’t support state police. We know how governors behave across Nigeria. You can imagine what they will do if they have legal backing set up state police,” he said.

Ugwu insisted that there was no need to add state police to the existing security agencies in Nigeria to fight insecurity but what is lacking is the political will to effectively deal with prevailing security problems.

He took a swipe at the developmental drive of the Peter Mbah administration, saying that it has no human face as “development should serve not erase” means of livelihoods, ancestral lands and homes.

The governorship standard bearer of DLA envisioned an Enugu State “where every citizen has access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities”.

He said: “I have a vision that our state will be a beacon of hope and prosperity, where every individual can live with dignity and pride.

“As a governor, I pledge to be a leader for all Enugu people regardless of tribe, tongue or social class. I come from the oppressed, and I understand the struggles of the marginalised. But I also recognize that true leadership is about serving all people, including those who may have oppressed us in the past”.

In his remarks, the Chairman of Enugu DLA,  Christian Eze urged Ndi Enugu to put their trust in the DLA governorship candidate and vote for him, saying that Ugwu “is going to bring the change we need in Enugu.”

He said that their political platform “is founded on very strong ideology- training before practice” hence the party would produce the right leadership at every level of governance in Nigeria.

The party chairman especially appealed to Enugu youths to join the DLA, describing the party as “a party of the youth” which recognises that “youths are not leaders of tomorrow. They are leaders of today”.

“We urge youths to join us and take our future in our hands,” he said.