Ex-Abia Gov, Orji, Bagos Join APC

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Yemi Kosoko in Jos

A former Abia State governor, Senator Theodore Orji, has left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Orji, who served as Senator for Abia Central from 2015 to 2023, had announced his retirement from politics months ago but hadn’t formally left the PDP until now

His son, a former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, had earlier dumped the PDP amid the internal crisis rocking the party.

As speculated, the former Abia Central senator, who has largely maintained a low public profile since his retirement, has now formally left the PDP for the APC, a decision many analysts said had long been anticipated.

Confirming the development, the former governor’s media aide, Mr. Ifeanyi Umere, said the defection was personal, adding that there was no official reason provided for the move.

Also, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos, has defected to the APC, pledging full support for President Bola Tinubu and the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang over the ongoing security and economic reforms.

Bagos, who represented Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, said his decision was driven by a shared ideological commitment to strengthening national security, deepening economic recovery, and advancing institutional reforms, particularly in conflict prone communities across Plateau State.

Speaking during his formal reception into the APC, Bagos said the push for state police and local government autonomy—two reforms he has long advocated—were central to his decision to join the ruling party.

“State police will give our local communities the opportunity to address insecurity effectively,” he said, noting that President Tinubu’s approval of the process marked the first time a Nigerian president had taken concrete steps toward decentralised policing.