The internal turmoil within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Thursday as all members of the Enugu State caucus in the House of Representatives, joined by a Labour Party lawmaker from Plateau State, decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers, Nnolim John Nnaji (Nkanu East/Nkanu West), Anayo Onwuegbu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River), Martins Oke (Igbo Etiti/Uzo Uwani), Mark Obetta (Nsukka/Igboeze South), and Dennis Nnamdi Agbo (Igbo-Eze North/Udenu) announced their decision during plenary on Thursday.
They were joined by Daniel Asama, representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State.
The defection, formally read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, was witnessed by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, whose administration the lawmakers praised for “connecting the state to the centre.”
Speaking on behalf of the group, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji described the move as “a bold step into the future,” insisting that their decision was guided by the need to align with Governor Mbah’s “visionary leadership” and the APC-led Federal Government’s developmental agenda.
“For too long, Enugu State has remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the destiny of our nation. That era is over. By aligning with the APC, we are connecting our constituency to the heartbeat of national development,” Nnaji said.
He added that their defection was not an act of betrayal but a strategic decision to attract more projects, jobs, and youth empowerment opportunities to their constituencies.
“Politics should never divide us. It should empower us to serve our people better. This decision comes from deep reflection and our desire to see Enugu take its rightful place in national progress,” he said.
Thursday’s defection is the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the PDP, a party increasingly plagued by internal wrangling and leadership struggles.
Earlier in May 2025, three PDP senators from Kebbi State left the party for the APC, citing unresolved leadership crises. In the same month, six PDP members of the House of Representatives, along with two from the Labour Party, also switched camps, further weakening the opposition in the National Assembly.
This may signal the diminishing strength of opposition parties in the 10th National Assembly and the continued consolidation of power by the APC.
“Defections have effectively eroded Nigeria’s multiparty system, reducing the PDP’s influence,” one report from MENAS Associates noted earlier this year, describing the trend as “the terminal decline of the main opposition.”
As the ruling party gains ground across states through what some describe as strategic realignment, others warn that the constant movement of politicians across party lines without ideological basis could deepen voter apathy and weaken Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“We open the gates of a new dawn, a dawn of hope, inclusion, and prosperity. Enugu will no longer watch from the sidelines,” Nnaji declared.
