APC Vows to Block Gov. Peter Mbah from Defecting, Welcomes Over 150 PDP, LP Members in Enugu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has vowed to block Governor Peter Mbah from defecting to the party, as it received over 150 new members from the Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The declaration was made during the party’s expanded stakeholders’ meeting held over the weekend at the APC Secretariat in Enugu.

State Chairman of the party, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, while welcoming the defectors, affirmed the APC’s commitment to wresting power from the ruling PDP in the 2027 general elections.

He accused the Mbah-led administration of failing to prioritize the security of lives and property across the state.

Agballah alleged that killer herdsmen had turned several local government areas—including Uzo-Uwani and Isi-Uzo—into killing fields, where communities suffer rape, murder, and destruction with little or no intervention from the state government.

Prominent among the new APC members were:

• Barr. Peter Okonkwo, former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs (PDP)
• Hon. Nonso Ochi, LP House of Assembly candidate, Awgu North Constituency (2023)
• Hon. Onyeka Chukwuedo, PDP House of Assembly aspirant, Awgu South Constituency (2023)
• Chief John Edeh, PDP House of Reps aspirant, Nkanu West LGA
• Chief Tony Chigbo, former Chairman of Uzo-Uwani LGA and ex-member of Enugu State House of Assembly (PDP)

Reading a communique after the meeting, Agballah warned that the party would no longer condone indiscipline or anti-party activities, stating that culprits would face suspension.

He attributed the APC’s past electoral losses in the state to the presence of “paid moles” and promised a cleanup within party ranks.

“Our party is committed to taking over the Lion Building in 2027. We already have a capable candidate who will replace Governor Mbah, who has misgoverned the state,” Agballah said.

He decried rising cases of kidnapping and killings in Isi-Uzo and Uzo-Uwani LGAs, particularly along the Ugwogo-Nike-Opi-Nsukka road, and criticized the state government’s alleged efforts to downplay the crisis.

According to him, the touted Command and Control Center in Enugu has proven ineffective beyond a 10-kilometer radius from the city, leaving rural residents at the mercy of criminals.

The meeting also saw the endorsement of the suspension of Senator Chukwuka Utazi, with a directive to the State Executive Committee to ratify and forward the suspension to the party’s zonal leadership.

One of the defectors, Mr. Peter Okonkwo, vowed to dismantle the PDP’s structure in the Nsukka zone and strengthen APC’s popularity ahead of the next election.