- Safiu Kehinde
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has explained the reason behind his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
NPO earlier Reported that the governor officially decamped to the APC on Tuesday in Enugu with the party’s National Working Committee formally receiving him.
The governor was presented the party’s membership card, marking his entry into the APC.
A video shared on X also showed him rendering the famous President Bola Tinubu’s famous mandate song as the APC’s flag was erected behind him.
Mbah in his address expressed his gratitude to the PDP for giving him their platform on which he contested and won.
He described his defection from the party to the APC as painful and difficult.
However, the governor maintained that the decision was collectively agreed upon by all members of the National Assembly, the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all the Local Government Chairmen and Councillors, all political appointees, and over 80% of party executives.
In what appeared to be a testament of claims that the governor had intended to decamp over the PDP’s non-recognition of Sunday Udeh-Okoye as its National Secretary, Mbah accused the party of disregarding the voice of the Southeast in its decision making.
“This is no whimsical decision. It’s a collective move by the political family in Enugu State, comprising members of the National Assembly, members of the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all the Local Government Chairmen and Councillors, all political appointees and over 80% of party executives.
“Over the past months, I have thought carefully about the path forward. In the end, after much soul searching and discussion, I have concluded that we must stand for the principles and institutions that honour transparency, trust, and above all – the people we serve.
“For decades, the South East – 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. 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.” He said.
Mbah described his defection to the APC as embrace of a visionary partnership as he hailed the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
He held that beyond Tinubu’s interest in the state, the President has showed a deep and vested commitment to Enugu, one that recognizes the region as a pillar of national progress.
“I have found in His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, not just a leader of our nation, but a partner in purpose, a man with the courage to look beyond today and make the tough choices that secure lasting prosperity for tomorrow.
“Together, we share a conviction that transformation must be bold and disruptive – that roads, railways, and airlines must stretch out from the heart of the South East; that Enugu’s promise, its security, its schools, its hospitals, its markets, its communities – must be reinforced.
We both share a belief that renewal does not stop at the grand highways or the balance sheets. It must reach the ward, the village, our grassroots.
“It is in the daily life of the farmer, the trader, the young entrepreneur that reforms come alive.
“We both welcome initiatives that decentralize opportunity, that strengthen the capacity of local government, that bring seed capital and credit to our youth, and that expand healthcare and education at the community level.
“Just as we do in our ward-based development initiatives, these convictions are boldly expressed in the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, an idea conceived to empower over 8.8 million Nigerians across the country’s 8,809 electoral wards.” He said.
Mbah defended Tinubu policies and reforms, labelling them smart choices that frees resources for investment.
“Yes, some choices demand sacrifice. Removing subsidies, unifying our foreign exchange markets, confronting crippling inefficiency – these are not easy decisions.
“But these are the smart choices that free resources for investment in our people. His Excellency, the President has shown he is not afraid to make the tough decisions for a fair and stable nation.
“And here in Enugu, we have been just as audacious. This move is bigger than politics – it is about alignment at scale. It is about connecting Enugu’s destiny with the central hub of broader reforms shaping our nation.” He added.