By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again suffered another blow following the defection of two governors of the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) within 24 hours.
Barely 24 hours after the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, officially announced his defection to the APC at a press conference in Enugu on Tuesday, October 14, his Bayelsa State counterpart, Duoye Diri, toed the same path for “obvious reasons.”
The latest wave of defections, which has seen both governors and top members of the legislature defect from PDP to APC, has further weakened the PDP, especially in the South-East and South-South regions, considered its strongest hold.
The defectors often cite the internal leadership crisis of the party as their reason, leaving the PDP, which controlled 11 states after the 2023 general elections, with only eight states, and none in the South-East region.
On the other hand, the APC now controls 24 states, while the Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) hold one state each.
As of Wednesday, October 15, the governors still in the PDP are: Seyi Makinde of Oyo State (South-West), Ademola Adeleke of Osun State (South-West), Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State (South-South), Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State (North-East), Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State (North-East), Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State (North-West), Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State (North Central), and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State (North Central).
With some of the remaining eight PDP governors, like Taraba’s Agbu Kefas, rumoured to be considering defection, it leaves the question of how many governors remaining in the PDP in the months leading up to the 2027 general election begging for an answer.
Recall the Impact Nigeria Newspaper earlier reported that the internal wrangling and leadership upheaval cost the PDP three governors in 2025, with Diri’s defection bringing the figure to four.
The party has postponed its 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which was scheduled for October 15, over “recent developments.”
Despite the internal wrangling, PDP leaders and the remaining governors have vowed that the defection will not affect the success of the party in the 2027 general election.
Before the defection of Mbah and Diri, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, expressed concern over the growing number of governors and senior party figures crossing to the APC.
At the inauguration of the party’s convention communication sub-committee in Abuja on Saturday, Mohammed agreed that the defections posed challenges for the party, but assured that efforts are being made to keep it united ahead of the November 15–16 national convention in Ibadan.
He said, “If you ask me whether I am concerned about our governors leaving for APC, I am more than concerned. But leadership is a burden. As a leader of a group of equal status, I cannot determine the decisions or inactions of my colleagues, but certainly, a lot of work is being done behind the scenes.”
