APC Set to Absorb Enugu PDP Structure as Governor Mbah Defects

Barely 24 hours after the dissolution of its Executive Committee in Enugu State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed that Governor Peter Mbah will formally defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, October 14, 2024.
This move is expected to end the PDP’s 25-year political dominance in Enugu and reshape the political balance of the Southeast region.

According to the APC National Working Committee, the decision follows the dissolution of the Enugu State Working Committee over “prolonged factionalization” that had crippled internal party operations. In its place, a seven-member caretaker committee has been inaugurated to manage the party’s affairs.
The committee, chaired by Dr. Ben Nwoye, includes Fidelia Njoeze, Peter Chime, Oby Ajih, Chiedozie Nwafor, Emma Ekeh, and Eugene Odoh as Secretary.

APC Prepares for Mass Defection from PDP

During the inauguration of the caretaker committee in Abuja on Friday, Dr. Nwoye announced that Governor Mbah’s defection will not be a solo act. He stated that all 260 ward councillors, 24 members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, National Assembly members, and the entire PDP State Executive Committee will join the All Progressives Congress alongside the governor.

“Political evangelism has started,” Nwoye declared. “We went to the governor, and he has agreed to move with us into APC. He is not coming alone; he is coming with the whole structure of Enugu PDP. Where Enugu goes, the South East goes. Never again will opposition dominate our region.”
He praised Governor Mbah’s leadership, noting that the governor’s “transformative governance in two years” has set the tone for a stronger political alignment with the APC’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The planned defection is seen as a strategic step to consolidate APC’s presence in the Southeast, a region long perceived as an opposition stronghold. Political observers say the move could reshape regional alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.

APC Leadership Hails Move as Path to Southeast Political Revival

At the inauguration ceremony, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, commended the development and urged the caretaker committee to ensure that the defection translates into sustainable political strength.
“APC is home for all,” Yilwatda said. “The person who came yesterday, today, or tomorrow has equal rights. Our goal is simple — to expand, to win, and to deliver overwhelming victory in 2027.”

Similarly, the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, described the expected defection as “the return of the Southeast to national relevance.”
“We will no longer play second fiddle. With Enugu in All Progressives Congress, the Southeast has found its voice again,” he stated, underscoring the symbolic importance of the event in the region’s political evolution.

If completed as announced, Governor Mbah’s defection will mark one of the most consequential political realignments in recent Nigerian history, potentially redrawing the political map of the Southeast and consolidating All Progressives Congress’s grip ahead of future elections.