After Mbah’s Exit: PDP Battles for Survival, APC Faces Internal Revolt in Enugu

Following the recent defection of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), some leaders of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the aegis of Concerned Enugu State PDP Stakeholders, have reaffirmed their commitment to remain in the party and rebuild it ahead of the 2027 elections.

Their position comes amid renewed tension in the APC, where members of the dissolved State Executive Committee (SEC) led by Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah, have vowed to seek legal redress over their dissolution by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

It will be recalled that at its 179th meeting held on October 9, 2025, at the APC National Secretariat, the NWC dissolved the Enugu SEC and appointed a seven-man caretaker committee headed by a former state chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye.

Subsequently, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Governor Mbah, alongside members of his cabinet and 23 out of the 24 members of the State House of Assembly, formally defected from the PDP to the APC, citing the alleged marginalization of the South East by the PDP leadership.

However, the defection has continued to generate mixed reactions, with several PDP members describing the governor’s action as self-serving and not in the interest of the people.

Addressing journalists in Enugu over the weekend, Dr. Okey Ozoani, former PDP State Youth Leader and ex–Vice Chairman for Enugu West Senatorial District, and Engr. Nick Ozonsi, a former Chairman of Udi Local Government Area, expressed their determination, along with other PDP members, to rebuild the party after Mbah’s exit.

“I thank God that they have defected, so we will now come back and rebuild our party, the PDP,” Ozoani stated.

He urged members of the party to remain steadfast, adding, “I urge all PDP members, the true PDP members to remain resilient and calm, as good things are coming.”

Ozoani questioned the benefits of the governor’s defection, saying, “Is defecting going to reduce taxation in Enugu State? Don’t you know that Enugu State is one of the most expensive states to live in and is highly insecure?”

He alleged that Mbah’s departure from the PDP was unsurprising since he was not among its founding members. According to him, Mbah joined the party in 2003, became Chief of Staff to then-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, and later Commissioner for Finance, but distanced himself from the PDP after leaving office in 2007 until his emergence as governor in 2023.

“Of course, you know I’m the Chairman of the Enugu State PDP Stakeholders Forum. We have been appealing to him not to leave the party. We even told him that if Governor Wike is the issue, we can talk to Wike. Wike is not a spirit; he’s not living in heaven,” Ozoani said.

On his part, Engr. Ozonsi called for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s political system, stressing that frequent defections weaken the nation’s democracy.

“What you cannot do in party A, how are you going to do it in party B?” he asked. “Nigerians should take the issue of defections and the abandonment of parties that nurtured politicians very seriously.”

Meanwhile, aggrieved members of the dissolved Agballah-led APC SEC have vowed to challenge their sack through constitutional means.

In a statement, they argued that the party’s constitution, specifically Articles 21.1, 21.2, 21.3, and Article 21.3(VI)(D) vests disciplinary authority in the Zonal Executive Committee (South-East), with recommendations to be made to the National Executive Committee (NEC).

They therefore maintained that the NWC lacked the powers to dissolve a state executive committee suo motu, describing its action as a violation of the APC constitution and the principles of fairness, equity, and due process.

“We therefore direct all organs of the APC in Enugu State, ward, local government, zonal, and state to remain in their offices as duly elected officers and continue discharging their constitutional responsibilities,” the statement added.