The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed disappointment over the defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party urged its serving governors to remain conscious of their responsibility as leaders of an opposition platform entrusted with public mandate by the electorate.
“The PDP is utterly disappointed by those actions, having regard to what we know behind the scene. But having said that, people have a right to decide what they want to do; the consequences can follow,” the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.
Ologunagba also noted that the party is aware of internal elements working against its interests but assured that steps are being taken to address the situation.
He said the upcoming national convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November would serve as a platform to restructure the party from the ground up and prepare it for future electoral contests.
“There are some people from within our fold that continue the undermine the party and its progress. We recognise that, but we are dealing with that.
“I compare this to a situation where you have a madman in a China shop; you must be methodical, you must be deliberate in trying to exit that.
“As a party, we are focused on the Nigerian people; we don’t want to put too much premium on the individual because it is not based on individuals; it is based on the people, and that is our strength,” he said.
He added that the convention would produce a new National Working Committee comprising individuals with “character, integrity, and capacity and courage” to reposition the PDP as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governor Mbah officially announced his defection from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday during a statewide broadcast.
He insisted that his decision was not an act of disloyalty but a move aimed at advancing the interests of the people.
“This is not a betrayal; it is also not abandoning.
“It is more about thinking I was entrusted with the people’s mandate by the people, and it is also a cost on me carrying that same mandate on a platform that will best serve the people,” the governor told journalists shortly after making the announcement.
His move follows the earlier defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, along with their cabinet members, to the ruling party.
Following the latest development, the PDP now controls nine out of the 36 state governorship seats in the country.