Hot SourceDeji Elumoye in Abuja and Gideon Arinze in Enugu
In a move that has finally decimated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-east, Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, the cabinet, and the entire political structure in the state, yesterday, dumped the opposition party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Being the last PDP state in the South-east zone since the 2023 general election, the defection would certainly cause a major shift in the political calculus of the country.
With Enugu gone, PDP, once a ruling behemoth, no longer has any reckoning in a critical geo-political part of the country, the South-east, thus, making the 2027 elections a near-walk in the park for APC.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, dwelt on some of the factors responsible for the wave of defections to ruling party, when he said President Bola Tinubu’s capacity to listen, as well as his inclusive style had been responsible for the formidable rise of APC.
Shettima also declared that the gale of defections by politicians from other political parties to APC had exposed the cracks in the camp of the opposition.
He stated that while the cracks were becoming visible in the walls built by the opposition, APC was growing stronger by the bridges it had constructed.
The vice president, who represented Tinubu, spoke in Enugu during the reception of Mbah, his cabinet, and supporters into APC.
He described the decision of the Enugu State governor and his supporters to defect to the governing party as an extraordinary endorsement of APC’s collective vision.
Shettima stated, “Much has been said about the ongoing wave of defections to our great party. What the opposition has failed to do is look into the mirror to ask why the APC remains the preferred destination of Nigeria’s most visionary political actors.
“Their departures are not accidents; they reveal the cracks in the walls they built and the strength of the bridges we have constructed. The APC has, over the years, become a political home where ideas find expression, where ambitions find direction, and where patriotism finds partnership.”
Shettima stated that, as Tinubu had often pointed out, it was not the duty of the governing party “to fix the house of the opposition”.
According to him, “Our task is to offer Nigerians a level playing ground and a clear alternative built on integrity, competence, and performance. That we are chosen again and again as the political party of the moment and of the future is because we represent order over chaos, progress over paralysis, and hope over despair.”
Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters, who thronged the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, to solidarise with Mbah and his new party, Shettima maintained that APC had nurtured relationships built on trust, accommodating divergent interests, and offering a platform where every Nigerian with noble intentions can find purpose.
He said Tinubu’s capacity to listen as well as his inclusive style of leadership and belief in merit had galvanised the party into the most formidable political platform in Africa.
The vice president said, “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, 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 Mbah had always been a part of the APC fold, even before he joined the governing party, Shettima suggested rather jocularly that the governor might have been hiding a broom in his umbrella, the symbol of the opposition PDP.
Shettima stated, “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 reminded Mbah that he was now the leader of APC in the 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”.
Shettima told Mbah, “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.”
Recognising that the strength of a political party rested in its foundation at the grassroots, including the “associations, the networks, and the day-to-day interactions that give life to its ideals,” the vice president said Mbah, as a people’s governor, who had walked with the people and understood their pulse, was in a better position to identify and strengthen the foundations of APC.
He stated, “Your Excellency, you have always been our ally, even when you were under the umbrella, and now that you wield the broom of hope, we are even more delighted.
“You are an asset to this party, and we do not take the strength, influence, and credibility you bring for granted. Your coming enriches our story and reinforces our mission.”
Welcoming the governor and his supporters to the party, Shettima reaffirmed APC’s determination to remain the home of all progressives.
Earlier, National Chairman of APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, welcomed the governor into the governing party, stating that they are now in “the soul and family of the progressives, the APC”.
Yilwatda thanked the governor for boldly taking the decision to take his people into the promised land through 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.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the governor for transforming the state within two years of his assumption of office.
Akpabio said it was a thing of joy for such a performing governor to join the fold of the progressives.
Speaker House of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, said the reception marked a historic day for the government and people of Enugu State.
Abbas assured Mbah of equal treatment among members of the APC family. He said the defection of the governor was a sure sign that the entire South-east will eventually join the progressives family.
Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, said the forum was excited to welcome Mbah into its fold.
Uzodinma expressed belief that the coming of Enugu State into the APC family would further strengthen support for Tinubu in the South-east as well as the region’s position in national politics.
Declaring his membership of APC, Mbah described the governing party as the largest political party in Africa. He said saying his defection into the governing party was a new beginning that markedthe 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,” Mbah said.
Justifying his decision, Mbah said the vision of Enugu State had now found stronger reinforcement at the centre.
The governor thanked PDP, which gave him the platform to win the election in 2023, stating that leadership sometimes demands difficult and painful decisions in the service of higher principles and goals.
Addressing a crowd of party faithful, the governor said his decision was not whimsical but a collective move by the political family in the state.
He said the decision involved members of the National Assembly, state executive council, local government chairmen, councillors, political appointees, and party executives.
Mbah stated, “After a long walk, we have decided to leave the PDP and join the APC. Our vision has now found stronger reinforcement at the federal level.
“I have thought carefully about the path forward and after soul-searching and reflection, we decided to honour transparency and for the people we serve.”
The governor stated that for over three decades, the people of Enugu walked side-by-side PDP, yet their voices were too often disregarded when it mattered most, a clear betrayal of faithfulness, fairness, and friendship.
He said some of the betrayals included the failure to zone the presidency of the party to the South-east in 2023 and the failure to recognise Sunday Udeh-Okoye, a former PDP youth leader as the party’s national secretary position.
“Now, we are seeking a place where our interest will be represented fairly. We are not moving from a place of resentment but fairness and respect and integrity,” he said.
Mbah also said, “In Enugu State, we have found in President Bola Tinubu not just a leader for our nation, but a partner in purpose. He looks beyond today and makes choices for a lasting future and believes that transformation must be bold and disruptive.”
He maintained that the president had not only shown a mere interest, but also a deep vested interest in Enugu, recognising the state as a pillar of national progress.
Mbah stated, “This is a time when we must make a bold choice to determine our destiny.
“I will continue to represent our state and the region with the same strength as I have always done.
“Our move is bigger than politics but about alignment with the centre. The projects we have begun will be completed, our people are watching and what they care about the most is results.
“True leadership is about service to the people and not self and we need an ally that can match our ambition and a conscious step towards a more compelling future. This is a new beginning of a new era of progress.”
In attendance to receive the governor were former governors of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Senate President Ken Nnamani, members of the National Working Committee of APC, Chairman and members of the caretaker committee.
Others were former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi; Senator Osita Ngwu; Deputy Chairman (South) of APC, Emma Eneukwu; National Secretary of APC, Ajibola Basiru; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Chidi Duru; and National Woman Leader, Dr. Mary Alile.
