Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State is on the verge of dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Premium Times has reported.
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According to the newspaper, Mbah has in recent weeks held wide-ranging consultations with political leaders and associates within and outside Enugu over his planned defection. Those familiar with the matter disclosed that two former governors of the state, Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime, as well as former Senate President Ken Nnamani, all APC stalwarts, have been instrumental in persuading him to switch allegiance.
A close associate told Premium Times that the consultations will end this week, after which the governor and his team will announce a date for his formal defection.
The move represents another heavy blow to the PDP, which has governed Enugu since 1999 but is now in disarray nationally. Mbah’s planned exit comes barely three months after Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno and four months after Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori crossed over to the APC.
Party insiders revealed that Mbah’s decision is driven by two key factors. First, the deepening crisis at the PDP national level, which he reportedly described as a major threat to the political ambitions of anyone hoping to contest on the platform in 2027. Second, his dissatisfaction with what he considers the marginalisation of the Southeast in the PDP leadership structure.
Mbah had earlier, on June 30, threatened to lead the Southeast zone out of the PDP after the party leadership refused to accept Sunday Udeh-Okoye, the region’s preferred candidate for national secretary, and reinstated Samuel Anyanwu, a close ally of former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike. The development, according to sources, left him bitter and determined to seek a new political home.
When contacted, Mbah’s spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, admitted that consultations were ongoing but said he was unaware of any final decision by the governor to leave the PDP. However, Premium Times quoted associates of the governor as saying they were “100 per cent certain” he would declare for the APC in a matter of weeks, if not days.
Mbah, 53, a lawyer and businessman, was elected governor in 2023. Since assuming office, he has been credited with reforms in security management, fiscal discipline, infrastructure, and human capital development.
If he eventually defects, the PDP’s dwindling fortunes will worsen, while the APC will further strengthen its dominance across the country.
