Historic Break: Enugu Crosses to the Ruling Party
In a televised state-wide broadcast from Government House Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress, taking along his commissioners, 17 local-government chairpersons, and an impactful chunk of the PDP executive structure.
“Today, after long reflection, we have decided to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and join the All Progressives Congress,”
Mbah declared, calling it a collective step toward connecting Enugu’s destiny to the national reform engine in Abuja.
The defection brings to a close the PDP’s uninterrupted hold on Enugu since 1999 and leaves the party without a single state in the South-East.
⚙️ Political Context and Fault-Lines
Sources inside the Enugu Government House trace Mbah’s move to prolonged disputes between the South-East PDP bloc and the party’s National Working Committee over the contested office of National Secretary.
The governor’s allies accuse the PDP hierarchy of “sidelining the region” during the post-2023 power-sharing cycle, prompting Mbah to align with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“This move is not whimsical,” Mbah said. “It is about partnership, connectivity, and aligning our development blueprint with the centre.”
Power Map of the South-East
Mbah’s defection reconfigures the regional power balance:
- APC now controls Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi states;
- Labour Party governs Abia;
- APGA holds Anambra.
The development consolidates Tinubu’s foothold in the South-East ahead of the 2027 elections and signals a possible governance-for-incentive alignment, as Enugu positions for federal projects and budgetary inclusion.
Political analyst Dr Ifediora Nwosu told IDNN that the move “ends an emotional chapter in South-East politics and could mark the region’s pragmatic shift from opposition to negotiation.”
📊 Impact Snapshots
- Defecting Leader: Gov Peter Mbah (Enugu State)
- From → To: PDP → APC
- Allies Crossing Over: 17 LG Chairmen + Commissioners + 80 % PDP executives
- Regional Outcome: PDP now controls 0 states in South-East
- National Ripple: APC now 24 state governments + 2⁄3 Senate majority
🗳 Reactions Across Party Lines
Former PDP leaders in Enugu called the mass defection a “political earthquake,” while APC national officers welcomed Mbah as “a partner in governance, not just politics.”
Meanwhile, opposition voices in the Labour Party accused the governor of “political survivalism.”
Minister of Aviation and APC stalwart Festus Keyamo mocked the opposition in a social-media post, saying Nigerians were now “too wise to be swayed by empty slogans.
💰Winners & Losers
Winners: APC consolidates regional leverage and political optics ahead of 2027; Enugu gains potential access to federal infrastructure deals and incentives.
Losers: PDP loses its last South-East bastion; internal dissent escalates among remaining opposition blocs.
