Enugu State governor Peter Mbah has reportedly concluded plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Multiple sources in Enugu confirmed to ENigeria News on Monday that Mbah has intensified talks with top figures within the ruling party ahead of a possible defection, which could happen “any moment from now.”
A senior political aide close to Government House said:
“The governor has read the handwriting on the wall. With the PDP crisis dragging on endlessly, he’s simply doing what’s politically smart, which is aligning with the center.”
Political pundits believe Mbah’s move mirrors a growing trend among southern governors quietly shifting allegiance to the ruling party. There are also reports that members of the Enugu House of Assembly, have been courted with unnamed offers to defect alongside the governor once the transition is finalized.
APC party insiders revealed that the National Working Committee (NWC) is already working to dissolve the current Enugu party leadership structure led by Ugochukwu Agballah to pave way for a caretaker committee loyal to Mbah.
“Names for the new executive are awaiting clearance from the Presidency,” one APC source hinted, adding that the announcement could come by Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Observers are quick to link these realignments to President Bola Tinubu’s long-tested political strategy, one marked by quiet persuasion, timing, and calculated absorption of opposition figures.
Since his days as Lagos governor, Tinubu has often been accused of orchestrating internal cracks in opposition parties, making them too weak to mount real challenges during elections.
From the Labour Party to the PDP, opposition blocs continue to suffer from internal disputes, endless court battles, and conflicting rulings that seem to deepen rather than resolve their crisis all in a political climate where Nigeria’s judiciary struggles to assert full independence.
A political analyst in Enugu told ENigeria News:
“Tinubu is building his 2027 victory now, not later. By drawing governors from the South-East and South-South closer to the APC, he’s setting the stage for total dominance.”
Meanwhile, in what many describe as a bid to maintain relevance and federal goodwill, the Mbah administration recently aligned with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit through the Harvesting Hope Caravan (HHC), a federal initiative promoting food security across states.
Under this collaboration, over 9,000 farmers in Enugu have been insured against agricultural risks in partnership with Leadway Insurance, Pula Advisors, and Bayer Foundation, reflecting the governor’s push to remain visible at the national table.
As it stands, barring any last-minute shift, Governor Mbah looks set to follow his Akwa Ibom and Delta counterparts in what many now call “the great southern political migration”, one that could reshape Nigeria’s 2027 electoral map.
