Social commentator Daniel Regha has questioned the political choices of voters in the South-East following the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s sweeping victory in the September 26, 2026 local government elections in Enugu State.
Regha raised the questions in a post on X on September 28, after the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) announced that APC candidates had won all 17 local government chairmanship positions and all 260 councillorship seats contested in the state.
The result marked a major change from the previous Enugu local government election in 2024, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all 17 chairmanship seats and 260 councillorship positions.
Reacting to the development, Regha questioned whether opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other northern politicians was based on ethnicity, regional identity or political ideology.
“Igbos, since the APC won all 17 Local Govt Councils elections in Enugu State, I have to ask this: Are you people against Tinubu because he's Yoruba, against Atiku since he's a northerner, de-market Sowore due to his region of ethnicity, or just supporting Peter Obi to push the Igbo presidency?” he wrote.
Regha also questioned the political treatment of Rabiu Kwankwaso, noting that the former Kano State governor had previously faced criticism as an opposition figure but was now being described differently by some political supporters following his political alignment with Peter Obi.
He further argued that opposition to a political party should be reflected at the grassroots level, particularly where voters have the opportunity to choose candidates in local elections.
“Because you can't claim to detest a political party, but then let the same party sweep all victories in your state when your own people control the outcome,” Regha added.
ENSIEC Chairman, Prof. Christian Ngwu, announced the results on Sunday, declaring APC candidates winners in all 17 local government areas.
The commission also announced that APC candidates won all 260 councillorship seats across the state's wards.
A Premium Times review of the results found that 12 of the 17 chairmen-elect were returned for second terms, while five were elected for the first time.
The election followed the September 2024 council poll, in which the PDP had secured all the chairmanship and councillorship positions.
The outcome has also generated discussion about voter participation and the competitiveness of the election.
A News Agency of Nigeria report observed poor turnout and late arrival of electoral materials at several polling centres in Enugu metropolis.
Some residents interviewed by NAN attributed the low turnout to a lack of awareness, while others questioned the competitiveness of the election. One resident claimed that the dominance of APC candidates reduced the incentive to vote. These were individual observations and comments, rather than a finding that the election was invalid.
The Coalition of Registered Political Parties in Enugu, however, described the election as peaceful, free, fair and credible, commending ENSIEC and other stakeholders involved in the process.
Regha's post goes beyond the Enugu council election itself, raising questions about the relationship between ethnicity, regional identity and voting behaviour in Nigerian politics.
His comments about Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Omoyele Sowore, Peter Obi and Kwankwaso represent his own interpretation of political developments and should not be taken as evidence that any particular ethnic group holds a single political position.
The Enugu results, meanwhile, establish that APC candidates won the council positions in the September 26 election. The reasons individual voters supported particular candidates cannot be determined solely from the final results.
The development comes as political parties and movements intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with competing parties seeking to consolidate support across Nigeria's regions.
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