Members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State have vowed to rebuild their party ahead of the 2027 elections, following Governor Peter Mbah’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
On Tuesday, Governor Peter Mbah officially dumped PDP for APC, citing the unjust treatment of the South East by the PDP leadership.
However, the defection has sparked mixed reactions, with some residents criticising Mbah’s decision, insisting that it was driven by personal interest rather than the welfare of the people.
“I thank God that they have defected, so we will now come back and rebuild our party, PDP,” said Dr Okey Ozoani, former PDP State Youth Leader and Vice Chairman, in a phone-in radio programme in Enugu on Wednesday.
“I urge all PDP members, the true PDP members, to remain resilient and calm as good things are coming,” he added.
Ozoani questioned the benefits of Mbah’s defection, asking, “Is defecting going to reduce taxation in Enugu State? Don’t you know that Enugu State is the most costly State in Nigeria to live in and highly insecure?”
A former Chairman of Udi Local Government Area and a PDP stalwart in the state, Nick Ozonsi, called for a serious reform of the Nigerian political system, saying, “What is wrong is what you cannot do in party A, how are you going to do it in party B?”
He added, “Nigerians should take the case of defections and the case of abandoning a party that nurtured them very seriously.”
Other residents and stakeholders also shared their views on Mbah’s defection.
A resident and party loyalist, Mr Nwoke Eze, said, “Mbah’s defection marks a political short-sightedness, reminding him and his followers that President Tinubu didn’t need to join the federal party to make Lagos work when he was governor of Lagos State.”
Alika John described political defection as criminal, saying, “I personally don’t like how politicians get into office through a particular party and then dump the party and still retain the position.”
Similarly, a social commentator, Dr Dele Maxwell, advocated for a political system that is not built around individuals, saying, “It doesn’t help us. We should be able to develop a system whereby we have an identity—this person is in PDP, he has been able to expand the PDP; then this person in APC is going to expand APC.”
He stressed the need for a system where politicians are driven by ideology rather than personal gain.
