By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Abuja-based legal practitioner, Barrister Henry Okeke, has declared that Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has demonstrated rare leadership qualities that not only secure him an automatic return to office in 2027, but also position him as a future presidential material capable of transforming Nigeria.
Okeke made the remark on Tuesday while speaking as a guest on Freedom Square TV during a post-event analysis of the just-concluded 2025 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA-AGC) held in Enugu.
According to him, Gov. Mbah has “earned his pride of place among the finest leaders Nigeria has ever produced,” noting that Nigerians should begin to look beyond 2027 and consider him for the nation’s top leadership position, should the tenure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu end in 2031.
The legal practitioner lauded the Mbah administration for its unprecedented reforms that have transformed Enugu into a model of modern governance.
He cited the seamless organization of the NBA-AGC, which attracted thousands of lawyers from across the country, noting that the state remained secure, clean, orderly, and hospitable throughout the conference.
“Governor Peter Mbah has turned Enugu State into a showroom of leadership. He has shown Nigerians that governance is not rocket science.
“He has built a state where poverty can be defeated, where security is guaranteed, and where young people are inspired to dream and achieve,” Okeke noted.
The lawyer, who is also the convener of New Enugu Group, was emphatic that the governor’s re-election in 2027 was already sealed by his track record.
“Governor Peter Mbah’s second term in office is non-negotiable. His performance in just two years has earned him automatic tickets across all political party platforms. Today, you can see political parties wooing him because of his uncommon performance,” he added.
Reflecting on the theme of the Freedom Square TV programme, ‘Reassessing Governor Peter Mbah’s Disruptive Innovation, 2025 NBA Conference and Matters Arising’, Okeke stressed that the successful hosting of the national legal community in Enugu had further underscored the disruptive innovations of the Mbah administration.
He observed that the governor’s policies have elevated Enugu to a destination of choice for conferences, investment, and tourism, while also redefining the expectations of governance in Nigeria.
Although the week-long NBA-AGC has ended, Okeke noted that its impact continues to reverberate across legal and political circles in the country, with participants still pouring encomiums on the governor.
“Lawyers and non-lawyers alike are unanimous in praising His Excellency for his disruptive innovations. The Enugu of today is not the Enugu of yesterday, and Nigerians are beginning to see a leader who can take the country to its promised land,” he stated.
PHOTO CAPTION: Mbah.
