Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees member, Chief Bode George, has downplayed the impact of Governor Peter Mbah’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the party remains strong and unbroken.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, October 14, George said defections were not new to the PDP and that the party’s foundation was too deep to be shaken by political movements.
“I wish him the best of luck. This is not the first time people are leaving. The PDP is an iroko tree. I wish them the best,” he said.
George maintained that while the departure of key figures like Mbah was regrettable, the PDP’s strength lies in its people, not just its governors.
“Governors alone don’t make the party; they’re an added value. The people make up the party. We’ll campaign, go to the field, and explain to Nigerians what the APC has done, or failed to do, to put smiles on their faces,” he added.
He dismissed suggestions that the defection signalled the PDP’s collapse in the South-East, saying the party was still capable of reform and renewal. “The PDP is absolutely redeemable,” he declared.
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Reacting to questions about his own political future, George ruled out the possibility of joining the APC. “That is absolutely impossible,” he said firmly.
The PDP chieftain, however, admitted he was surprised by Mbah’s move, especially after several senior party figures had intervened to convince him to stay.
“The governor, we all waded in and convinced him. Many people went there, telling him, ‘Calm down, the convention is next month.
“You’ll get whatever is due to the South-East.’ But the rationale and emphasis he gave, it was like I was in a very long dream,” he recounted.
Governor Mbah, who announced his decision earlier in a state-wide broadcast, said he joined the APC to align Enugu with the federal government’s development agenda.
“Today, after a long reflection, we have decided to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and join the All Progressives Congress,” Mbah said.
“Leadership demands difficult decisions in the service of higher goals. My decision to join the APC is to better serve the people of Enugu and align with the party’s vision for progress,” he added.
The governor was welcomed into the APC by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda.
With Mbah’s defection, the APC now governs three of the five South-East states, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, leaving Abia under the Labour Party (Labour Party) and Anambra under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).