By: Joy Musa
In a dramatic shift in Enugu State’s political landscape, Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly set to formally decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Sources say the move will not be solitary: he is expected to bring along elected national and state legislators, members of the state executive, and party leaders from ward and local government levels.
Loading ...What We Know So Far, Official shift date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025. The defection is anticipated to include key political figures in Enugu State lawmakers, executives, local party chieftains.
Motivation: Observers believe this may be part of Mbah’s effort to realign his political base ahead of the 2027 general elections, and to secure a stronger footing within the ruling party at the federal level.
Preparations underway: Reports suggest that the APC is already dismantling the current PDP executive committee in Enugu State to make way for a caretaker structure.
Reactions & Challenges
Internal PDP concerns: Already, dissidents within the PDP have warned Mbah of steep political risks. Former PDP chieftain Ray Nnaji publicly warned that defecting to APC “would be political suicide” for Mbah, citing weak grassroots structures and entrenched actors already embedded in APC.
APC in Enugu unsettled: The Enugu branch of APC, led by Ugochukwu Agballah, has reportedly expressed ambivalence if not outright resistance to Mbah’s admission, citing concerns over internal party balance and loyalty.
Path cleared by national APC: Despite resistance at the state level, the national APC is actively facilitating the process dissolving PDP structures in Enugu and preparing to integrate defectors.
Implications
PDP weakened in Southeast: Mbah is currently the only PDP governor in the South‑East. His defection could erode the party’s influence in the region.
APC’s dominance foreshadowed: With the ruling party gaining a sitting state governor and key local structures, its control over Enugu could be consolidated ahead of 2027.
Realignment of power: Local alliances, loyalties, and patronage networks in Enugu are likely to be reconfigured in the wake of Mbah’s move.
What to Watch
1. Formal announcement: How Governor Mbah frames the defection as ideological, strategic, or otherwise will be telling.
2. Which defectors follow: The identities of legislators, executives, and party operatives who cross over will determine how deep the shift is.
3. PDP’s response: Whether the PDP will fight back with internal reforms, legal challenges, or counter‑defections.
4. APC’s internal cohesion: Whether the state and local APC structures will accept or resist Mbah’s takeover.
We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as the situation unfolds in Enugu State.
