Not less than three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors have nearly finalised plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governors are Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.
Though Mbah is about to formally defect on Tuesday, the strikes by Kefas and Diri are nonetheless on the session stage, LEADERSHIP Weekend has learnt.
Nevertheless, whereas spokespersons for governors Kefas and Diri have dismissed their principals’ defection as rumours, state chapters of the PDP have remained evasive, saying they can’t touch upon the matter.
The governors are reportedly leaving the celebration over its protracted management disaster, which has seen most of its key figures both transfer to the APC or be part of the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Curiously, the anticipated defections come barely weeks earlier than the celebration’s Nationwide Conference on 15 November, by which the three governors are integral members of the planning committee.
Months in the past, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno and his Delta counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, additionally dumped the PDP for the APC, citing the identical management disaster.
Through the defections in Uyo and Asaba, former APC nationwide chairman Dr Abdullahi Ganduje had revealed that extra opposition governors and different chieftains would quickly observe swimsuit.
LEADERSHIP Weekend had solely reported earlier this yr that PDP governors have been getting ready to dump the celebration.
However addressing newsmen on Thursday, PDP’s nationwide publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, admitted that some governors have been on the verge of leaving however added that their exit wouldn’t have an effect on the nationwide conference.
“Sure, we’re involved as a political celebration, however we aren’t deterred – as a result of, like I stated, and I’ll check with that once more – the prepare for the 2025 elective conference of the PDP has figuratively arrived at Ibadan,” he stated.
He additional accused the APC of orchestrating the defections by means of intimidation, coercion, and blackmail, all in preparation for the 2027 basic elections.
Mbah Joins APC Tuesday
Barring any change of plans, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is about to hitch the ruling APC on Tuesday.
Hints of his imminent defection emerged on the inauguration of a seven-man caretaker committee for the APC in Enugu State.
The APC additionally vowed to take whole management of the South East geopolitical zone.
The caretaker committee contains Dr Ben Nwoye (Chairman), Hon Eugene Odoh (Secretary), and members Fidelia Njeze, Peter Chime, Dr Oby Ajih, Dr Chiedozie Nwafor, and Emma Ekeh.
The dissolution of the earlier management and appointment of the caretaker committee is in anticipation of Mbah’s official defection.
Inaugurating the committee, APC Nationwide Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda careworn the necessity to strengthen the celebration’s affect within the South East forward of the 2027 basic elections.
Yilwatda stated the celebration’s Nationwide Working Committee adopted due course of in dissolving the previous government and urged the caretaker committee to unite the celebration and guarantee APC’s success in future elections.
“We’re working in direction of elections. We need to be certain that we have now overwhelming success and outing in 2027. The Renewed Hope Agenda has achieved a lot,” he stated.
Talking to journalists after the inauguration, Nwoye stated the governor’s defection would mark a turning level for the APC in Enugu and the South East.
“For the previous 10 years, Enugu State has remained in opposition. However all that can change on Tuesday, 14 October 2024, when the governor will probably be declaring for the APC.
“And the governor just isn’t coming alone; he’s coming with 260 ward councillors, 24 members of the Home of Meeting, members of the Nationwide Meeting, and all the exco.’
A supply near Mbah listed three explanation why the governor was planning to depart the PDP.
He listed the failure of the PDP to ratify Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as South East’s alternative to finish the remaining tenure of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who had gained the celebration’s ticket and flew the celebration’s flag within the November 2023 Imo governorship election, had pitted the celebration and its South East causes.
He additionally listed limitless crises within the PDP as a significant factor fueling defections from the celebration.
Whereas reiterating the potential of South East and himself dumping the celebration throughout Governor Seyi Makinde’s intervention go to to Enugu on June 30, Mbah maintained that “we reserve the appropriate to evaluate our continued membership of the celebration if the celebration is unwilling to place its home so as.”
We’re Ready to Obtain Kefas – Taraba APC Chair
Equally, the APC in Taraba State says it is able to welcome Governor Agbu Kefas as soon as he concludes his consultations.
State APC chairman, Barr Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi, advised LEADERSHIP Weekend that whereas no official contact had been made, he was conscious the governor had been consulting extensively.
“The governor has arrange a committee that’s consulting throughout the 16 native authorities areas to determine his acceptability to defect,” he stated.
“He can’t simply come to us instantly. He has to complete along with his folks first, and politically, that’s the appropriate step to take.
“We have now heard he’s going spherical, in preparation to hitch our celebration. Though I’ve not had any official dialogue with anybody, if the knowledge seems to be true, then he’s on the appropriate path.”
When requested if the celebration has house to accommodate the governor, El-Sudi responded:
“We have now house to accommodate everyone. We’ve by no means rejected anybody. No matter your ambition, the celebration is sufficiently big to accommodate it.
“If he ultimately comes, he’s an asset. All we wish is a governor who will work for Tarabans, and if he’ll try this underneath our platform, we’ll be happier than anybody else.”
El-Sudi suggested these grumbling in regards to the governor’s attainable defection to forgo the thought.
“We can’t afford to repeatedly stay in opposition. If the chance comes {that a} sitting governor desires to hitch us, it’s a welcome growth,” he stated.
When contacted, Taraba PDP chairman Abubakar Bawa responded briefly by way of textual content: “I don’t know something.”
State Commissioner for Data and Orientation, Barr Zainab Usman Ahmed, additionally dismissed the defection story as “mere hypothesis”.
“Simply as you’ve heard or examine it within the media, so have we. As a authorities, we don’t work with rumours,” she stated.
We Can’t Speak About Diri’s Defection But – Bayelsa PDP
Speculations are additionally rife that Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri would possibly defect on October 14.
Efforts to get affirmation from his chief press secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, have been unsuccessful. Though he learn a message despatched to him, no response had been offered on the time of submitting this report.
Nevertheless, PDP state publicity secretary, Hon Ebiye Ogoli, stated he was unfit to touch upon the matter.
“The matter is simply too huge for me to talk on now. I don’t know what is occurring, however on the proper time, all info will probably be made public.
“For now, every little thing is simply rumours. There’s nothing concrete in regards to the governor’s defection.”
In the meantime, APC organising secretary in Bayelsa, Hon Tokpo Coronation, advised LEADERSHIP Weekend that there had been no formal communication, however confirmed the celebration was conscious of the rumours.
“If the governor ultimately joins the APC, we’ll welcome him warmly. He may assist deliver unity and peace amongst totally different factions of the celebration in Bayelsa,” he stated.
Nevertheless, he warned that the governor’s strategy would decide whether or not his defection would strengthen or divide the celebration.
“If he comes and adopts a unification technique, there’ll be no points. But when he takes sides with a faction, disaster might come up.
“We don’t pray for disaster. We wish peace and unity within the celebration. Governor Diri is a person of peace and intelligence, so we consider he gained’t provoke any inside battle.”
It was, nonetheless, gathered that Diri’s defection has grow to be problematic as he has not been capable of persuade federal lawmakers from Bayelsa to hitch him within the APC.
LEADERSHIP Weekend had earlier reported that almost all lawmakers, led by former governor and now senator, Seriake Dickson, and Hon Fred Agbedi, had turned down the governor’s overtures, not like what occurred in Delta and Akwa Ibom the place all of them adopted the governor into the APC.
Sources say a chilly struggle between Diri and Dickson has additional deepened the cracks inside Bayelsa PDP.
On the coronary heart of the rift is the Bayelsa West zoning association, an unwritten rule that rotates the senatorial seat between Sagbama and Ekeremor LGAs.
With Dickson is searching for a second time period in 2027, Diri’s camp is reportedly opposing the transfer and backing one other aspirant.
“There’s clearly a brewing disaster between Dickson and Diri over the Sagbama/Ekeremor zoning association.
“Some in Diri’s camp, particularly from Sagbama and Ekeremor, are working in opposition to Dickson’s return,” a celebration chief from Sagbama advised LEADERSHIP Weekend.
I Have No Plan to Be part of APC – Suswam
In the meantime, Sen Gabriel Suswam, two-time former governor of Benue State, has denied he has plans to defect to the APC.
In a press release on Friday in Makurdi by his media aide, Mr Bede Bartholomew, Suswam debunked stories linking his attendance at a state banquet to a deliberate defection.
“Moments in the past, I obtained phone calls from well-meaning Benue folks and leaders, alerting me to trending information on social media purporting that former Governor Suswam has defected to the APC.
“Some even alleged that he can be obtained by Governor Alia on the Banquet Corridor, Authorities Home, Makurdi.
“I debunk this unholy hearsay with all vehemence. It doesn’t characterize the present pursuits of Suswam or his supporters throughout the state.”
He clarified that the governor had invited him —alongside different stakeholders—to a state banquet slated for 10 October 2025, with no political motive implied.
“There was no indication within the invitation that it was a political occasion or a decamping ceremony by any means,” he said, as he urged supporters to ignore the hearsay.
“The report is baseless, aimless, and a lie from the deepest pit of hell,” he stated.
