PDP governors defection continues as Mbah and Diri join APC, leaving the opposition with only eight governors amid fears of more departures
PDP governors defection has further thinned the ranks of Nigeria’s leading opposition party, leaving it with only eight governors following the high-profile exits of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The defection of the two South-South and South-East governors has deepened the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which controlled 11 states after the 2023 general elections.
With these new exits, the APC now commands 26 states, reinforcing its dominance at both federal and subnational levels.
Mbah announced his defection on Tuesday, immediately embraced by APC leadership. Just a day later, Diri followed suit, confirming in Yenagoa that he was leaving the PDP for “obvious reasons”.
As of Wednesday, the following eight governors remain in the PDP fold:
- Ahmadu Fintiri – Adamawa (North-East)
- Bala Mohammed – Bauchi (North-East)
- Caleb Mutfwang – Plateau (North-Central)
- Agbu Kefas – Taraba (North-Central)
- Dauda Lawal – Zamfara (North-West)
- Seyi Makinde – Oyo (South-West)
- Siminalayi Fubara – Rivers (South-South)
- Ademola Adeleke – Osun (South-West)
There are unconfirmed reports that more governors, including Taraba’s Agbu Kefas, may soon follow, deepening the party’s woes.
The defections come just days after PDP Governors’ Forum Chair and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed openly expressed anxiety about the party’s future. Speaking in Abuja on Saturday, he admitted that the exodus had rattled the party’s leadership, even as it plans for its November 15–16 national convention in Ibadan.
“If you ask me whether I am concerned about our governors leaving for APC, I am more than concerned,” he said.
“Leadership is a burden… but certainly, a lot of work is being done behind the scenes.”
The situation is seen as a serious blow to the PDP’s national cohesion and credibility as the country’s main opposition party, already weakened by past electoral losses, court battles, and internal divisions.
With the APC holding a supermajority, and other parties like Labour Party, APGA, and NNPP each controlling just one state, political watchers suggest Nigeria’s opposition landscape is fractured and in transition.
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Analysts say unless the PDP quickly addresses internal grievances—particularly issues around zoning, regional representation, and leadership credibility—it risks sliding into further irrelevance ahead of the 2027 elections.
