The political landscape in Enugu State is set for a dramatic overhaul as Governor Peter Mbah is scheduled to officially defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) next Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
The defection is expected to be a massive political event, bringing nearly the entire state government structure into the APC fold.
Speaking to journalists after his swearing-in at the APC National Secretariat on Friday, the Enugu APC Caretaker Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, confirmed the monumental change.
”For the past 10 years, Enugu State has remained in opposition,” Nwoye stated, referring to the state’s long history under the PDP. He added: “But all that will change on Tuesday, the 14th of October, 2025, when the governor will be declaring for the APC.
Massive Defection Expected
Dr. Nwoye outlined the extensive list of officials expected to join Governor Mbah in the defection, which he noted would signify the end of the state’s time in the opposition:
The entire State Executive Council (Exco). The 24 members of the State House of Assembly. Members of the National Assembly representing the state. 260 ward councillors.
The political move comes just days after the APC National Working Committee (NWC) dissolved the Enugu State Executive Committee on Wednesday, a step widely seen as clearing the way for the governor’s entry.
APC Chairman Welcomes Expansion
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Eneukwu, have been actively working to strengthen the party’s influence in the South-East region.
While swearing in the new caretaker committee for Enugu, Prof. Yilwatda confirmed the party’s focus on expansion, but also cautioned the new leadership to maintain unity.
He affirmed the APC’s inclusive philosophy: “The person who came yesterday, the person that came today, the person that will come tomorrow, and the person that will come next tomorrow will all have equal rights and equal access, based on our Constitution.”
Prof. Yilwatda stressed the importance of unity among both old and new members, stating: “You can’t throw away what you have because you want to go and get what you don’t have. We must maintain our members—those who have laboured, who have suffered, who have built the party, who have sustained it.”
The APC is determined to achieve an “overwhelming victory” in the 2027 general elections and views the mass defection as a significant step toward that goal in the South-East.
