PDP southeast dies as Mbah join APC

Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has officially join the All Progressives Congress (APC), dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According Mba the decision was not motivated by fear, resentment or personal ambition, but by a desire to secure a stronger political alignment for the state and the Southeast region.

Speaking on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at a well-attended ceremony in Enugu titled: “Charting a New Course: Transition from PDP to APC,” Mbah said the move was “a conscious step toward a more compelling future” and an act of faith in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of national renewal.

“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,” Mbah declared. 

The Governor, who was one of the leading PDP figures in the Southeast, said leadership sometimes demands “difficult and even painful decisions in the service of higher principles and goals.”

According to him, the decision to move to the APC was not taken lightly, but after long reflection and consultation with his political team. 

The Governor, who filled his APC membership card and was presented broom, revealed that the defection was a collective action involving members of the National Assembly, the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all 17 local government chairmen, councillors, and over 80 per cent of political appointees and party executives in the state.

“For decades, the Southeast, 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,” Mbah said.

Mbah praised President Tinubu as “a partner in purpose and a leader with the courage to make tough choices for lasting prosperity,” aligning his administration’s development philosophy with the federal government’s Renewed Hope agenda.

“This move is bigger than politics,” he said. “It is about connecting Enugu’s destiny with the central hub of broader reforms shaping our nation. I have found in President Tinubu not just a leader of our nation but a partner in purpose.

Highlighting his administration’s achievements, Mbah said Enugu’s transformation was visible in the construction of over 1,000 kilometres of roads, establishment of smart schools and health centres across all 260 wards, improved water supply, and a 600 per cent increase in internally generated revenue.

He also listed successes in security and infrastructure, including an AI-driven Command and Control Centre, 150 distress-response vehicles, and the revival of key assets such as Hotel Presidential and Nigergas.

Mbah reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to complete all ongoing projects, assuring citizens that his government’s priorities would remain people-centred.

“Our Igbo DNA does not change; our destiny does not change. What changes is that our vision now finds stronger reinforcement at the federal level. The progress you see today will not slow, and the projects we have begun will be completed as promised,” he stated.

The governor thanked the PDP for the platform it provided, acknowledging its historical role in the state’s development, but said the time had come for Enugu to align with the national mainstream for greater opportunities.

“We must stand for principles and institutions that honour transparency, trust and service to the people,” he said. “True leadership is about service to the people, not service to self. Principles, not personalities, must guide us.”

Mbah concluded by expressing gratitude to President Tinubu for his encouragement, saying the defection marks “the beginning of a new era of growth and progress” for Enugu State.

“Tomorrow is here,” the Governor said. “Let us gather with renewed hope to build the Enugu – and the Nigeria – that our children deserve.”

The event attracted former Senate President, Dr. Ken Nnamani; former Governore Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Barr. Sullivan Chime; APC National Deputy Chairman (North), Alhaji Alli Dalori and his Southern counterpart, Chief Emma Eneukwu; state chairman of PDP, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike and his executive members, members of the National Assembly from Enugu State led by Senator Osita Ngwu, among others.