…as defection wave deepens PDP’s internal cracks
…Bala Mohammed blasts departing govs as cowards amid fears of a one-party state
By Sodiq Adelakun
This week may redraw Nigeria’s political map as Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, now on the verge of abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reliable sources confirmed that Gov Mbah has concluded discussions with APC powerbrokers and is set to officially announce his defection within the week.
There have not been an official confirmation, sources close to Government House, Jalingo, say consultations and negotiations have reached an advanced stage.
Governor Kefas’ growing political closeness to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fueled widespread discussion about a potential realignment that could reshape the state’s political map ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development, if executed, would bring to five the number of PDP governors who have crossed over to the ruling party since the 2023 general elections, a trend that deepens the cracks within the country’s oldest opposition platform.
The internal tremors within the PDP reached fever pitch over the weekend as the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, openly rebuked Mbah and other defectors, branding them “cowards” for abandoning the party amid challenges.
Speaking during the inauguration of the PDP’s Media and Publicity Sub-Committee ahead of the party’s national convention in Abuja, Governor Mohammed did not mince words.
He said: “Please, be emboldened. Don’t be disturbed by the defections and the shenanigans and the Doubting Thomases. Staying back to fight is what makes a man or woman. It’s an act of cowardice to leave because of one man or woman.”
The Bauchi governor, who also leads the Convention Publicity Sub-Committee scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, accused the ruling APC of attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state through coercion and intimidation.
“You know the style of leadership of the APC-led federal government in trying to make this country a one-party state. They have the power of coercion; they have the power of everything. I cannot say that my colleagues are wrong. They are free to do whatever they choose,” Mohammed added.
He, however, expressed dismay that the opposition was losing critical ground due to defections, hinting that the party’s internal unity was being undermined by selfish political manoeuvres and external pressure.
“Even those who left are not finding it easier, because most of the people at the grassroots level are PDP and are not happy with the defections. Sometimes, it is done because of permutations and calculations,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rumoured defection of Governors Mbah and Kefas did not emerge in a vacuum.
Multiple political analysts viewed it as a calculated move orchestrated by the APC’s national strategists to neutralise regional strongholds of the PDP ahead of 2027.
In Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah, who also serves as Secretary of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee has reportedly been in high-level talks with APC leadership over “a redefined political alliance” in the South-East.
According to confirmed sources and one of his aides, Mbah is expected to officially announce his defection during a meeting in Enugu on Tuesday, where key APC figures from the South-East are billed to attend.
Also, In Taraba, Governor Agbu Kefas, known for his pragmatic and non-confrontational leadership style, has also been courted by the APC hierarchy to deliver the North-East vote in 2027.
A staunch supporter of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, has hinted that the former lawmaker may leave the party if Governor Agbu Kefas defects to the ruling party.
The supporter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Senator Bwacha feels sidelined in ongoing political consultations and may be forced to seek an alternative platform with his loyalists.
“Senator Emmanuel Bwacha has made it clear that he will contest the 2027 governorship election. He still commands strong support across the 16 local government areas and remains the political leader of the southern zone. If Governor Kefas joins the APC, the senator may have no choice but to move elsewhere because the governor’s defection would alter the balance of power within the party,” the supporter said.
He further revealed that the former senator and his political camp are worried about being excluded from discussions surrounding the governor’s rumoured defection.
“As of the last time we spoke, he told us he was not being carried along. We, his supporters, are waiting for direction, but I can comfortably tell you that we will not remain in the APC if Governor Agbu Kefas joins the party,” he added.
Meanwhile, several Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Taraba State have expressed support for the governor’s alleged plan to defect, insisting that the move would benefit the state politically and economically.
For President Tinubu, the planned defections could not have come at a more strategic time.
The ruling party’s roadmap towards 2027 requires not only a stronger national spread but also visible inroads into zones traditionally considered hostile to the APC, particularly the South-East and parts of the North-East.
With Mbah’s anticipated entry, the APC would gain its first sitting governor in the South-East since 2019, a symbolic and strategic breakthrough that could reposition Tinubu as a national bridge-builder.
The same applies to Taraba, where Kefas’ crossover would grant the ruling party renewed strength in a region long dominated by the PDP.
The PDP, once dominant across Nigeria, is facing its steepest crisis since its formation in 1998.
The departures of Delta’s Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom’s Umo Eno earlier in the year already weakened the opposition’s southern bloc. The expected defection of Mbah and Kefas could accelerate the party’s decline ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governor Bala Mohammed himself admitted, “If you ask me whether I am concerned about our governors leaving for APC, I am more than concerned. But leadership is a burden.”
He continued: “We are better off than most opposition parties. Some don’t even have leadership at the national level. We are the only ones intact with one National Secretary, one National Chairman, and one Publicity Secretary.”
However, several PDP insiders privately concede that the party’s leadership has struggled to maintain cohesion or offer a credible ideological counterweight to the ruling party.
According to him, “The PDP’s loss of governors is not only symbolic; it destroys the opposition’s field structure. Once state resources and networks realign, national campaigns become one-sided.”
Still, Governor Bala Mohammed remains defiant, insisting that the PDP will not fold under pressure.
“This convention is here to stay. We are going to Ibadan by the grace of God, and no Jupiter will stop us. The dark forces, if they succeed over PDP, they have succeeded over Nigeria,” he declared.
