ALGON deputy slams Iyere over attacks on Gov. Mbah, cites fraud allegations
The Deputy Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Enugu State, Ugo-Ferdinand Ukwueze, had launched a blistering rebuttal of recent attacks on Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah,
The Deputy Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Enugu State, Ugo-Ferdinand Ukwueze, had launched a blistering rebuttal of recent attacks on Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, describing them as reckless, malicious, and driven by personal desperation rather than public interest.
Ukwueze was responding to a viral video by the Coordinator-General of the Nigerian Youth Economic Engagement and De-Radicalisation Programme (NIYEEDEP), Comrade Kennedy Iyere, who had delivered a string of invective remarks against the Enugu State Governor, dismissing his emergence as a so-called “mistake” by the people of the state.
In a statement laden with sharp rebuke, the ALGON deputy chairman questioned Iyere’s moral authority to sit in judgment over the Governor, noting that the self-acclaimed founder of the Obidient Movement is currently under investigation over alleged fraud amounting to ₦113,508,757.
He described Iyere as an “extortionist and smear merchant,” urging him to focus on clearing his name following allegations by Silver Green Hotel Ltd and other petitioners that he defrauded them.
“Unfortunately, a man battling serious fraud allegations would abandon the task of clearing his name to engage in reckless attacks,” Ukwueze said. “Such conduct exposes desperation, not courage, and confirms a pattern of extortion, blackmail, and smear campaigns driven by personal greed rather than public interest.”
Ukwueze further recalled that Iyere once actively campaigned for Governor Mbah and even urged other governorship candidates to rally behind him after the 2023 election. According to him, the sudden turn to public vilification betrays a man grappling with a collapsing reputation and an insatiable appetite for controversy.
He also raised questions about Iyere’s political integrity, citing his abrupt withdrawal from the Edo State governorship race under the Accord Party in 2024, barely days to the election, amid allegations of a settlement with the ruling party’s candidate.
Reacting to Iyere’s claim that Governor Mbah was “broke” before the 2023 general election, Ukwueze dismissed the assertion as a concoction borne of bitterness and envy.
“When someone lies openly about a man’s past and success, it only shows envy and hatred,” he said. “The records of Governor Mbah’s assets declaration are available at the Code of Conduct Bureau. This is a man who was building roads, hospitals, and schools long before assuming office and has continued to do so without faltering.”
The ALGON chieftain warned Iyere to moderate his language, stressing that inflammatory rhetoric against a sitting governor who leads over seven million people verges on hate speech and poses risks to public order.
He also challenged Iyere’s insinuation that the Governor allegedly told unnamed friends that he had “settled” him, describing the claim as vague, irresponsible, and unsupported by facts. “You cannot make serious allegations without names, places, or reasons,” Ukwueze said. “Spreading stories without proof is dangerous and dishonest. Such claims must be substantiated or withdrawn.”
Ukwueze went on to outline what he described as Governor Mbah’s prudent and transformative use of Enugu State’s resources, a record he said has earned the Governor widespread acclaim and multiple Governor-of-the-Year awards.
According to him, the administration has delivered 260 Type-2 hospitals, 260 smart schools, 17 science schools, a 300-bed international hospital, an international conference hotel, six aircraft under Enugu Air, over 4,000 kilometres of roads across the state, advanced security surveillance systems, ultra-modern command and control centres, and the revival of Niger Gas and other moribund state-owned enterprises.
“Enugu has become a massive construction site,” Ukwueze said. “Development is visible everywhere. That is why the state is progressing and why Governor Mbah continues to receive national recognition.” He concluded that governance, not noise, remains the ultimate answer to detractors, insisting that Enugu people are better served by measurable development than by what he termed “the theatrics of bitterness.”