Women groups operating under the platform Women Gather have declared the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, as their “last hope” for the full implementation of the 35 per cent affirmative action policy, intensifying political conversations ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. These groups includes Women Support Women for Human Empowerment and Mentorship Initiative, Loudest Voices for Mbah etc.
Addressing journalists in Enugu, the Co-convener of the group, Ambassador Onyi Mamah, revealed that members recently engaged Governor Mbah in high-level discussions surrounding the Reserved Seat Bill and broader gender inclusion reforms. She commended the governor’s disposition toward women’s political advancement, asserting that among the five South-East governors, Mbah has shown the strongest and most consistent support for women’s participation in governance. According to her, his disciplined leadership style and openness to dialogue have rekindled hope that the long-debated 35 per cent affirmative action policy may finally gain practical traction in the state.
Mamah, a human rights advocate and Executive Director of the Heroine Women Foundation, expressed concern over what she described as the glaring underrepresentation of women in Enugu’s political structure since 1999. She noted that only two women currently serve in the State House of Assembly, a figure she described as inconsistent with the spirit of equity and inclusion. She argued that proper enforcement of the 35 per cent policy should have produced no fewer than seven female lawmakers in the Assembly. Beyond the state legislature, she lamented that Enugu has never produced a female senator since the return to democracy and currently has no woman representing the state in either the Senate or the House of Representatives.
In a direct political appeal, Mamah urged Governor Mbah to facilitate the emergence of a female candidate in the forthcoming by-election in the Enugu North Senatorial Zone, insisting that such a move would correct the “structural imbalance” in representation. “Giving a woman the opportunity in the coming by-election will fill the vacuum,” she stated, emphasizing that the absence of female voices at both federal and state legislative levels undermines inclusive governance and sustainable development.
The renewed advocacy comes on the heels of a massive solidarity rally held last month under the banner “Women Gather for Peter Mbah 2027,” where women from across Enugu State unanimously endorsed the governor’s second-term ambition. The event attracted representatives from groups such as Jesus Wives Enugu State, Resilient Widows, Loudest Voices for Peter Mbah, and the South East chapter of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS). Beyond celebrating the administration’s developmental strides, the gathering signaled an early grassroots mobilization drive ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
At the rally, the women unveiled a new political mobilization structure tagged “Governor Mbah’s Action Squad 2027,” calling on supporters statewide to join the movement. In a bold declaration that underscored their political resolve, they vowed to vote en masse for Governor Mbah in 2027, insisting that there would be “no vacancy” at the Government House. With the dual demand for affirmative action implementation and second-term consolidation, the women’s coalition has positioned itself as a formidable force in Enugu’s evolving political landscape.
