Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, is reportedly finalizing plans to defect from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), according to multiple sources with knowledge of high-level political consultations.

The move, if confirmed, would further weaken the PDP’s already dwindling influence nationwide, reducing the party’s control to just nine states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, and Zamfara. Notably, Rivers is increasingly seen as under APC influence through the involvement of former governor Nyesom Wike, a PDP member currently serving in the APC-led federal government.

Should Mbah formally join the APC, the ruling party’s tally would rise to 24 states, leaving only three states—Abia (Labour Party), Anambra (All Progressives Grand Alliance), and Kano (New Nigeria Peoples Party)—under the control of other opposition parties.

Sources close to the matter say Mbah has held a series of high-level consultations in recent weeks, both in Enugu and Abuja, with political stakeholders and allies. Key APC figures from the Southeast, including former Enugu governors Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime, as well as former Senate President Ken Nnamani, are said to have played instrumental roles in persuading the governor to switch allegiances.

“The final stage of consultations is underway,” one source familiar with the negotiations told [News Outlet]. “A formal announcement is expected once all political and logistical arrangements are concluded.”

According to insiders, Governor Mbah has cited ongoing internal crises within the PDP and the perceived marginalization of the Southeast in the party’s national leadership as key reasons for his planned defection.

The tensions escalated earlier this year when Mbah publicly opposed the retention of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary, insisting instead on the Southeast's preferred candidate, Sunday Udeh-Okoye. The PDP leadership’s decision to retain Anyanwu—a known ally of Wike—despite Mbah’s objections, reportedly deepened the governor’s dissatisfaction.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Mbah’s spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, confirmed that consultations are ongoing but said no final decision had been made regarding the governor’s political future.

However, several of Mbah’s close associates insist the move to the APC is imminent. “We are 100 percent certain he will join the APC within weeks, if not days,” a top aide told Premium Times.

Governor Mbah’s anticipated defection would mark one of the most significant political realignments in the Southeast since the 2023 general elections, potentially reshaping the region’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.