Why Gov Mbah Joined APC, According to Party Leader

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has officially left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). A senior APC chieftain in the state, Dr. Alex Chukwuemeka Obiechina, has praised the governor’s move, stating it demonstrates foresight and political courage.

Governor Mbah, who was elected on the PDP platform in 2023, will be formally received into the APC. The decision has sent significant ripples through the state’s political landscape, marking a major shift in allegiance.

A Strategic Move for the Future

Dr. Obiechina, speaking to journalists in Abuja, described Governor Mbah’s defection as a demonstration of uncommon political sagacity. He emphasized that the governor, whose second term he considered already secure, chose to look beyond immediate gains.

“His decision to join us in the APC shows that he cares about tomorrow more than today,” Obiechina stated. He commended the governor for rejecting what he termed “blind opposition politics” and bringing zeal and excellence into Enugu’s governance.

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Reflecting on his own experience, Obiechina, a former PDP governorship candidate, accused the party of fostering stagnation through impunity and indiscipline. He expressed relief that Governor Mbah did not linger in what he called the “evil assembly.”

PDP’s Legacy and the South East

The APC chieftain listed alleged political sins of the PDP, including corruption and bad party politics. He also highlighted the party’s historical treatment of the South East, noting it denied the zone the presidential ticket in 1999, 2003, and 2023.

Furthermore, Obiechina pointed out that the PDP did not concede to Mbah, as the only PDP governor from the South East, a say in the party’s National Working Committee. He declared that Mbah’s move has effectively swept away the remaining flags of PDP’s “years of indignity” in the region.

Cabinet Members Follow Suit

The defection has already triggered a wave of realignments within the state government. A viral video from the Enugu State Government House showed several of Governor Mbah’s key appointees declaring for the APC.

Among those seen waving the APC flag were Dr. Lawrence Ezeh, Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology; Dr. Amaka S. Ngene, Chairman of the Science, Technical, Vocational Schools Management Board; and Dr. Felix Nnamani, Commissioner for Labour. Their chants of “Jagaban all the way” confirmed the political transition was in full motion, solidifying the governor’s decisive step into the national ruling party.