• Mbah: We stood by PDP for decades, our voices were disregarded
• Shettima, Akpabio, Abbas hail decamp; 12 govs, others attend rally
• Bauchi senator, three Kaduna lawmakers dump PDP for APC
• Makinde dismisses defections as symbolic, not strategic
• Ohanaeze commends Mbah’s move as ‘timely, strategic’
• Analyst: Defections weaken accountability, erode public trust
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah yesterday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in a move that has redrawn Nigeria’s political map.
Mbah led the entire political structure of the state, including National and State Assembly members, local council chairmen, councillors and appointees, into the APC, sealing the end of the PDP’s 26-year dominance in Enugu.
His defection, being the last PDP governor in the South-East, boosts the APC’s recruitment drive for influential leaders and tilts the balance of power further in favour of the ruling party.
Before Mbah’s move, the major opposition PDP controlled 13 states, while the APC held sway in 23. Following yesterday’s switch in Enugu, the APC now leads with a ratio of 24 to 10, widening its dominance over the former ruling party.
Mbah filled out the APC’s membership form and received his card from the national leadership in a ceremony that drew top government figures to Michael Okpara Square in Enugu.
The rally, which filled the 30,000-capacity venue, marked the symbolic conclusion of Mbah’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling party.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who led the delegation, said Mbah’s entry into the APC had “removed the South-East from the margin of Nigerian politics” and assured the region of greater inclusion in federal development plans.
He praised the Igbo people as one of the “most economically enterprising, educationally ambitious and vibrant tribes in Africa,” lamenting that the region had “lagged behind in national affairs” in the past decade.
“Now with the coming of Governor Peter Mbah; with the continuous energy being exhibited by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, I believe the Ndigbo have come to the mainstream of Nigerian politics,” he said.
Shettima described President Bola Tinubu as “a man for all seasons” who would ensure that the South-East’s interests were advanced. Turning to Mbah, he quipped: “I believe you had a broom hidden in your umbrella all these years, waiting for the right moment to bring it out.”
The APC has a broom as its symbol while the PDP features an umbrella. Shettima assured Mbah that he would be treated fairly in the party, affirming his position as APC leader in Enugu State. “From the convention and constitution, the governor is the leader of the party in his state. Your Excellency, you are now the leader of the APC family in Enugu State,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Mbah’s movement to the APC would bring more development to the South-East, noting that “the entire Southeast senators have turned to the APC.” He added humorously that Enugu “is even more beautiful than Abuja,” praising the state’s infrastructure and potential.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, also pledged equal treatment for Mbah, stressing that “no party can give you the platform to achieve all you want for your people better than the APC.”
Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, described Mbah’s decision as “bold and wise,” saying it had further strengthened Igbo reintegration into national politics.
APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, commended Mbah’s record in office, declaring that the governor had “taken the people from Egypt to the Promised Land.”
“Today we are seeing the new Enugu State. The PDP cannot house the kind of progressive mind that you have,” he said. The rally was attended by 12 sitting governors; former governors, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Sullivan Chime, and Rochas Okorocha, as well as senators Adams Oshiomhole, Ned Nwoko, Orji Uzor Kalu, Opeyemi Bamidele, and Osita Ngwu, among others.
Mbah: How Enugu State’s devt vision guided decision to defect
Mbah described his defection as a “collective decision” by the political family in Enugu, including all 17 local council chairmen, 260 councillors, 24 members of the state House of Assembly, National Assembly members, and over 80 per cent of PDP executives.
“We thought carefully about the path forward,” he said. “After much soul-searching, we concluded that we must stand for principles and institutions that honour transparency, trust, and above all, the people we serve.”
He said Enugu’s long loyalty to the PDP had yielded little benefit for the state and the South-East region. “For decades, we stood by the PDP, showing loyalty and patience, but our voices were often disregarded when it mattered most. We are confident of our future in the APC; we move not from fear or resentment, but from conviction and fairness.” Mbah added that the switch was not about personal ambition but about aligning with “a federal platform that reflects our development vision.”
“President Tinubu has shown the courage to make hard choices that ensure lasting prosperity. Our visions align, that roads, railways, and industries must connect the South-East with the rest of Nigeria. This move is bigger than politics; it is about Enugu’s place in the national reform agenda,” he said.
The governor commended the President’s focus on grassroots governance and youth empowerment, describing Tinubu as “a leader who understands that renewal must reach the farmer, trader, and entrepreneur.”
Enugu’s shift and the road to 2027
Mbah’s defection, observers say, formally ushers Enugu into a new political order, one that redefines alignments not only in the South-East but also at the national level.
Beyond Enugu, several PDP governors and lawmakers are reportedly in talks to defect to the APC in the coming months, a move that could further reshape Nigeria’s political landscape before the 2027 polls.
“This is not an isolated move,” said a senior APC strategist. “It is a signal of where the political wind is blowing. By 2026, Nigeria’s opposition may be too weak to mount a credible challenge.”
For now, Enugu’s switch to the ruling party underscores a national pattern of consolidation, one that could determine whether Nigeria’s democracy remains competitive or drifts toward one-party dominance.
As Mbah declared in his broadcast: “This move is about the future, a future of fairness, development, and opportunity for Enugu and the South-East.”
Enugu stakeholders, Ohanaeze hail Mbah’s move to APC
The governor’s crossover from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress elicited varied reactions across the state. A former PDP state chairman, Augustine Nnamani, admitted that the party “has itself to blame for precipitating this mass exodus,” citing years of internal crises, imposition of candidates, and neglect of loyal members.
Dr Alex Obiechina, a former PDP governorship candidate in Enugu who had earlier defected to the APC, hailed Mbah’s decision as “courageous and visionary.”
“By responding to the pull of progressive politics and shunning blind opposition, Mbah has demonstrated that his ‘Tomorrow Is Here’ mantra is real,” Obiechina said. “For 26 years, Enugu stagnated under PDP’s impunity. This decision marks a renewal.” He described the governor’s action as “a reflection of foresight” and said the PDP was paying for “its many sins of corruption, impunity, and bad politics.”
The state chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide also commended Mbah’s defection, describing it as “timely and strategic” for attracting federal projects to the South-East.
Prof Fred Eze, Vice President-General representing Enugu State, said: “This decision is thoughtful and timely, considering the need to align the state with the centre for development.”
The Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, said the governor “has earned the people’s trust through performance and foresight.”
“The traditional rulers and people of Enugu State have absolute trust in his judgment. His decision is rooted in the good of the people,” the monarch said.
Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu chapter, Okechukwu Edeh, said all council chairmen in the state “stand firmly with the governor and the new direction.”
Makinde dismisses decamp; Bauchi senator, Kaduna lawmakers dump PDP
Mbah’s defection has already sparked intense debate within political circles. The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, however, dismissed the defections as symbolic rather than an indication of a genuine electoral shift.
While APC strategists celebrate the expansion as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s growing political reach nationwide, Makinde insisted that the electorate remains the ultimate arbiter of party strength and acceptability.
Despite the APC’s recent advances in the South-East, the series of crossovers from the PDP underscores the latter’s waning influence. In what appeared to counter the narrative that state governors were merely seeking proximity to federal power, the Senator representing Bauchi North, Samaila Dahuwa Kaila, also defected from the PDP to the APC during plenary yesterday.
Similarly, the Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, made an appearance in the House of Representatives to show solidarity with three federal lawmakers from his state: Aliyu Abdullahi (Ikara/Kubau), Abdulkareem Ahmed (Kaduna South), and Sadiq Abdullahi (Sabon Gari), who also dumped the PDP for the APC.
Many PDP loyalists, echoing Governor Makinde’s sentiments, argue that the ruling party’s recent wave of defections reflects a deliberate strategy to exploit federal influence and possibly replicate what they describe as the “electoral abracadabra” of the 2007 polls under then-INEC chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu.
Nonetheless, current political statistics point to a commanding APC majority at the national level. In the Senate, the ruling party holds 70 of the 109 seats, compared with the PDP’s 29, while the Labour Party (LP) retains five. In the House of Representatives, the APC boasts more than 205 members, with the PDP trailing below 40 and the LP’s numbers dwindling after post-election defections.
At the subnational level, the APC’s reach now extends across most state assemblies, controlling an estimated 600 of Nigeria’s 991 assembly seats. The party also maintains dominance in the 774 local councils and nearly 9,000 wards, a grassroots network unmatched since 1999.
APC tightens grip from grassroots to legislature, opposition in retreat
In addition to yesterday’s defections by senators and members of the House of Representatives, politicians across various state assemblies and local councils continue to join the ruling party. In Enugu, it was a clean sweep. From councillors to council chairmen, lawmakers, ward executives, and political appointees, the entire political structure shifted to the APC, effectively placing the state under the party’s full control.
At the grassroots, the APC now wields influence through more than 600 council chairmen nationwide, a development analysts say could shape voter mobilisation and funding dynamics ahead of 2027.
“The PDP is haemorrhaging from within,” said political analyst Akin Malaolu. “Without ideological direction or credible leadership, many of its elected officials are gravitating toward federal power. Mbah’s move is not isolated; it’s symptomatic of the party’s slow collapse.” He added that if the trend continues, “2027 may not be a competitive election but a coronation for the APC, unless opposition forces realign quickly.”
Mbah’s move also raises existential questions for opposition politics in Nigeria. The PDP, which once boasted 28 governors in 2007, now retains control of only nine, a sharp decline that underscores its structural decay.
The Labour Party, despite its gains in the 2023 general election, has struggled to retain both its federal and state lawmakers, while smaller parties, such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have splintered due to internal wrangling.
Legal experts warn that the rising tide of defections risks undermining Nigeria’s democratic integrity. Under Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, legislators who defect without proof of division in their party risk losing their seats. However, the rule has been inconsistently applied by the courts, thereby emboldening cross-carpeting.
“Party platforms have become transactional rather than ideological,” said constitutional lawyer Akeem Aponmade. “This weakens accountability and continuity, eroding public trust in governance.”
Political observers believe the Enugu defection is part of a broader realignment designed to strengthen the APC’s southern base while projecting national unity.
“The APC is clearly executing a long-term consolidation plan,” said a source close to the party’s strategy unit. “Mbah’s entry brings credibility to Tinubu’s southern agenda, especially in the South-East, which has been the hardest zone for the party to penetrate.”
For the PDP, Enugu’s loss compounds a worsening crisis of identity and leadership. The party remains divided over zoning and the lingering dispute between its northern and southern blocs.
Analysts note that even as the PDP prepares for its 2025 national convention, it faces increasing difficulty retaining its remaining governors in states such as Oyo, Delta, and Taraba.
“Without a united front, the PDP will struggle to field a formidable presidential candidate in 2027,” said a political science lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. “The party is bleeding from the inside.”
Meanwhile, for President Tinubu, the defection strengthens his position ahead of the 2027 election. It expands the APC’s control of both legislative chambers, increases its influence across local councils, and improves the ruling party’s standing in the South-East, a region that resisted the APC’s wave in 2015 and 2019.
Traditional rulers join APC’s expanding circle
The All Progressives Congress has taken its sweeping alliances further by assembling traditional rulers, regarded as custodians of grassroots mobilisation, at a strategic meeting in Lagos on Monday. The gathering, convened as part of the party’s renewed national outreach, was attended by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who urged the monarchs to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s administration and its ongoing reforms.
Responding, the Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, commended the initiative, noting that it was the first of its kind in his 19 years of leading the council, where political and traditional leaders met under one roof to chart a common course for national cohesion and development.
Having disrupted the South-East by winning over Mbah and engaging traditional rulers nationwide, the APC’s widening influence could shape the outcome of the 2027 general election.
