As Mbah Moves Enugu’s PDP Structure to APC

Deji Elumoye writes about issues surrounding last week’s defection of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State alongside his Commissioners and aides from the People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Last Tuesday, the coal city of Enugu was in a total lock down. The entire city played host to the high and mighty in the nation’s political landscape as Governor Peter Mbah as well as his Commissioners and aides formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congres. A day earlier, Mbah, who was elected Governor in 2023 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, had held a marathon meeting with members of his political family in Enugu State where he informed them of the need for his political structure to be integrated into the politics at the centre. There and then, he told all present that they are all moving en masse to the All Progressives Congress. At the meeting, flags and souvenirs of the APC were distributed to all in preparation for the formal defection the following day.

Before Mbah’s defection last week, the South East zone of the People’s Democratic Party of which the Enugu State Governor was a major stakeholder had complained on several occasions about the way the zone was being treated by the party at the centre.

Specifically in May, 2025, the South East

told the PDP that members may have to review their future membership of the party should the party refuse to ratify Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary of the PDP.

Former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, had articulated the position of the South East saying: “We hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure the needless lingering dispute over the matter.

“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward.”

Wabara said it was in order to review the region’s relationship with the party should what he described as trampling on the zone by the party persist.

According to him: “We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-south, it would not be like this. And now, it came to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned.”

Governor Mbah alluded to the position of the South-East in his state-wide speech on the morning of Tuesday, October 14, 2025 announcing his defection to the APC.

He said: “Today, after a long reflection, we have made the decision to leave the PDP and join the All Progressives Congress.

“This is no whimsical decision. It’s a collective move by the political family in Enugu State, comprising members of the National Assembly, members of the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all the Local Government Chairmen and Councillors, all political appointees and over 80% of party executives.

“Over the past months, I have thought carefully about the path forward. In the end, after much soul searching and discussion, I have concluded that we must stand for the principles and institutions that honour transparency, trust, and above all – the people we serve.

“For decades, the South East – especially Enugu – has stood firmly behind the PDP, showing loyalty that shaped the party’s success.

“Yet despite this history, our voices were too often disregarded when it mattered most.

It has therefore become necessary to seek affiliation where our interests as a region are represented in the form of fair partnership.

We are not moving from a place of resentment or fear. We are confident of our future.

“We have no axe to grind, no personal point to make. But fairness, respect and integrity must guide our choices for that future to be ours. Today, in joining the APC, we are embracing a visionary partnership.”

Mbah also highlighted the leadership qualities of President Bola Tinubu adding that they both shared same ideals about development.

His words: “I have found in President Bola Tinubu not just a leader of our nation, but a partner in purpose, a man with the courage to look beyond today and make the tough choices that secure lasting prosperity for tomorrow.

“Together, we share a conviction that transformation must be bold and disruptive – that roads, railways, and airlines must stretch out from the heart of the South East; that Enugu’s promise, its security, its schools, its hospitals, its markets, its communities – must be reinforced.

“The President has shown not only interest, but a deep and vested commitment to Enugu, one that recognizes our region as a pillar of national progress.

“We both share a belief that renewal does not stop at the grand highways or the balance sheets. It must reach the ward, the village, our grassroots. It is in the daily life of the farmer, the trader, the young entrepreneur that reforms come alive.

“We both welcome initiatives that decentralize opportunity, that strengthen the capacity of local government, that bring seed capital and credit to our youth, and that expand healthcare and education at the community level.”

At the venue for the formal welcome of Governor Mbah to the APC last Tuesday afternoon, Vice President Kashim Shettima led party chieftains including Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the carnival like event.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters, that thronged the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, in solidarity with the Governor and his new party, the Vice President maintained that the APC has nutured relationships built on trust, accommodating divergent interests, and offering a platform where every Nigerian with noble intentions can find purpose.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s capacity to listen as well as his inclusive style of leadership and belief in merit has galvanized the party into the most formidable political platform in Africa.

His words: “His Excellency, President Bola  Tinubu, our leader, is a man of all seasons and all people — a man whose word is his bond. His sense of inclusion, his rare capacity to listen, and his belief in merit over sentiment have made the APC the most formidable political family in Africa.

“This is why every progressive mind, every reformist, and every visionary, sooner or later, finds their path leading here. So, to you, Your Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, and your team — welcome home. In the APC, you have found an enduring family, an ally in your journey, and a party that recognises your worth.”

Observing that Governor Mbah had always been a part of the APC fold even before he joined the governing party, Senator Shettima suggested rather jocularly that the governor may have been hiding a broom in his umbrella, the symbol of the opposition PDP.

He said, “Your Excellency, let me say this with warmth and humour: you have always been one of us. You are a progressive through and through. I am convinced that you had a broom hidden in your umbrella all these years, waiting for the right moment to bring it out.

“And now that you have chosen the right time to come home, we are not bitter that you are joining us today — we are overjoyed that you are here to strengthen our party and add your voice to the chorus of progress.”

Shettima declared that with Governor Mbah joining the APC, he becomes the leader of the party in Enugu State in line with the party’s tradition, pointing out that the governor now carries “the noble challenge of rebuilding the APC in, and from, Enugu State.

“You are not just a frontline stakeholder within the state; you are now a leading voice at the national level. Mr President has assured you of his full support, and I want to reaffirm that we stand ready to partner with you in deepening development and democratic dividends for the people of Enugu,” he added.

Also speaking, National Chairman of the APC, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, welcomed the Governor into the governing party, noting that they were now in “the soul and family of the Progressives; tge APC.”

He thanked the governor for boldly taking the decision to take his people into the promised land through the APC.

“Governor Mbah has revamped the education sector, he has built roads and has done a lot for his people, that is why we welcome him home. He has a progressive heart, that is why we are glad to welcome him home,” Yilwatda stated.

Declaring his membership of the APC, Governor Mbah described APC as the largest political party in Africa.

He said his defection into the governing party is a new beginning that marks the end of wallowing on the sidelines, adding that his defection was a collective decision of the entire political family of the state.

“We are affirming today collectively that we are going together as a zone to put an end to segmented politics. We are moving to take the opportunity at the national level,” the governor said.

Mbah’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seen as a significant political move, with potential implications for Enugu State’s politics.

A greater number of the governor’s cabinet members and state legislators defected with him, indicating a level of support within his administration. This could help him achieve his aims in the APC.

The APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda, led by President Tinubu, emphasizes development, progress, and national cohesion. Governor Mbah’s alignment with this agenda could facilitate collaboration and support for his projects in Enugu State.

Possibility of Governor Mbah achieving his aims in the APC depends on the extent to which he receives support from the APC leadership, his new party members, and the people of Enugu State.

Other determining factors include the degree to which his administration’s policies and projects align with the APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Mbah’s ability to deliver on his campaign promises and improve on the lives of people of Enugu State.

Overall, while there are potential benefits to Governor Mbah’s defection, the outcome will depend on his ability to navigate the complexities of his new party affiliation and deliver on his development agenda.