The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues to reel from the aftermath of its prolonged leadership crisis that has plagued the party since the 2023 general election.
Once a powerful political force, the party is now unraveling amid a wave of defections, ongoing internal conflicts, and a significant decline in public trust.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu seems to have effectively broken down the long-standing political strongholds in Nigeria’s South East and South South regions.
The latest injury on the PDP came after the Enugu State Governor, Barr Peter Mbah, formally dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Mbah made the declaration during a state-wide broadcast to the people of the state, saying the move was necessitated to connect the South-Eastern state to the central government.
“There comes always a time when everyone must make a bold choice to determine their destiny. Today, after a long reflection, we have made a decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and join the All Progressives Congress,” Mbah stated.
It was reported that Mbah’s exit from the PDP will be followed by that of Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, whose defection, it was learnt, had been finalised.
Diri once served as one of PDP’s last loyal stalwarts in the oil-rich zone.
His decision to join the APC not only weakens the PDP nationally but symbolically signals a collapse of opposition resilience in the region that produced former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Recall that before now, Delta State Governor Sheriff Obvwevori and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, both from the south south region, had moved to the APC with all their officials and appointees earlier in the year.
Once regarded as impregnable fortresses of the PDP, for nearly two decades, the party held sway in both regions, winning almost every presidential, gubernatorial, and legislative election in those regions.
However, internal wrangling and weak opposition coordination, have all contributed to its steady decline.
It was reported that with the PDP’s southern flank now effectively neutralized, Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid might face minimal regional resistance barring any unforeseen development.
Abia, Anambra next to fall – Udeh Okoye
Speaking on Tuesday, former National Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, predicted that another South-East state will soon fall under the control of the APC.
Udeh-Okoye made the claim while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“Just wait and see; very soon, another state will fall in the South-East to the APC,” Okoye said, noting that the party’s growing influence in the South-East was unstoppable.
When asked which state he was referring to, Okoye declined to disclose details, saying the information was classified.
I never saw it coming – Bode George
Meanwhile, some party insiders refused to admit that the defection of sitting governors represents the final blow to the PDP’s regional dominance.
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Chief Bode George, who reacted to the development, expressed shock over the defection of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
George spoke on Tuesday while fielding questions in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he reacted to the governor’s move.
Asked if he anticipated Mbah’s defection, George said he never saw it coming despite several interventions by party elders.
“I never saw it at any time. In fact, when Anyanwu was brought back as secretary to complete his assignment, he asked his people not to attend meetings.
“We were wondering what was going on in the South-East. Now that we have settled the matter and fixed the convention date, it’s only a question of time. Whatever position the East wanted to give him would have been his. So, what’s the essence of leaving now?” he said.
Mbah rented crowd – Nnaji
Also, former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ray Nnaji, faulted Governor Peter Mbah’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, describing it as a grave political mistake.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Nnaji said the governor’s move was his constitutional right but insisted that the defection would eventually backfire.
“One thing you have to understand is that it is his right to move,” Nnaji said.
“The Constitution is not strictly against a governor’s defection but against lawmakers, whose seats can be declared vacant if the party challenges it in court,” he added.
The former PDP official alleged that the crowd that welcomed Mbah into the APC was “rented” and did not reflect genuine grassroots support.
“I must tell you that the governor succeeded in renting a crowd. The people that came there were hired. The governor is not on ground. He is more interested in the elites and his financial base than in the common people,” he said.
Nnaji also blamed the PDP’s national leadership for allowing the wave of defections that has hit the party in recent months, accusing the national chairman of failing to act decisively.
“The problem PDP has is poor leadership. If the chairman had lived up to expectations, he wouldn’t have allowed these defections.
“Even those who left—how many are being challenged in court? What steps has he taken to make them regret their actions?” He queried.
He further claimed that Mbah left some loyalists behind in the PDP to maintain influence over the party’s structure in Enugu State, but warned that the plan would fail.
“We are waiting to see what happens in Enugu because we learned the governor left remnants of PDP members to control the party while enjoying his stay in APC. But from my experience, he has made a very big mistake,” Nnaji said.
He also dismissed claims that Mbah’s defection would weaken opposition strength in the state, citing the massive support Peter Obi received in the 2023 presidential election as evidence that voters, not political elites, decide outcomes.
“How can anyone say it gives him an edge? Peter Obi, within a few months, gathered more than six million votes. It’s the people that determine who wins,” Nnaji added.
PDP now a sinking ship – Analyst
However, Public Affairs Analyst and Communication Scholar at Peaceland University, Enugu, Dr. Nduka Odo, in an interview said that the PDP has become a “sinking ship,” and many politicians are defecting in a bid to safeguard their political careers.
“PDP has long become a sinking ship. Survival is primary. Nobody would want to drown along with a sinking ship,” he stated.
He argued that Mbah’s move would likely benefit the APC more than the governor himself.
Odo said: “It has become customary for office holders to leave the party that gave them the platform and seat to decamp to another party. Most often, they join the party that holds federal power.
“However you want to look at it, it has become normal for incumbents to jump ships. Curious minds ask, on whose interest? The incumbents or the people who voted for them? PDP has long become a sinking ship. Survival is primarily. Nobody would want to drown along a sinking ship.
“Another great question is, would joining APC better the voting lots of Enugu Governor Peter Mbah? This question is relevant, being that APC performed badly in presidential, governorship, and all other elections in Enugu in 2023. Why not join the parties that performed well in the state, like LP?
“It is Peter Mbah and his team that are bringing something to APC. PDP Enugu was doing alright. On that ground, I hope that APC Federal rewards the state for this assistance.”
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