Mbah, Adeleke, Alex Otti, Others Shelve Defection Plans As Opposition Reconsider Move To APC

Governors from opposition parties who were rumoured to be on the verge of defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have pulled back, amid growing internal efforts to stabilise their parties and shifting political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The wave of defections sparked by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his deputy, Monday Onyeme, both of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and their high-profile predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, had fuelled speculation that more opposition governors would soon jump ship.

The APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, had earlier boasted that Oborevwori’s defection was just the beginning of a broader defection movement across party lines.

However, investigations by The PUNCH reveal that governors like Peter Mbah (Enugu), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), and Alex Otti (Abia) have ruled out immediate plans to leave their parties, citing growing consolidation of their political bases and ideological incompatibilities with the APC.

Governors Speak Out

In Enugu, sources close to Governor Mbah said the earlier motivation to defect had faded following a collapse of the Labour Party’s structure in the state and renewed PDP support.

“The LP’s influence has diminished significantly. With the influx of its members into the PDP, Mbah’s second term is all but assured,” a political aide revealed.

Governor Lawal of Zamfara also dismissed defection rumours through his Special Assistant on Media, Mustafa Kaura, who said, “The governor has no intention of joining any other party. He is staying with the PDP.”

On the Plateau, PDP chieftain Dachung Bagos insisted Governor Mutfwang would not move to the APC due to “clear ideological differences.”

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, during a strategic PDP stakeholders’ meeting, described reports of his possible defection as “fake news.”

“I am not defecting to APC or any other political party. I remain in PDP,” Adeleke declared.

Abia Governor Alex Otti, speaking on Arise TV, stated he had no compelling reason to leave the Labour Party.

“I’m glad I went into politics under the LP. There’s no justification to jump ship,” he said, while acknowledging future political decisions would be left to divine guidance.

Opposition Dismisses APC’s One-Party Ambition

National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, described the defections as “acts of survival,” warning that they would not guarantee APC’s success in 2027 if hardship persists.

“The idea of turning Nigeria into a one-party state is wishful thinking. If things do not improve, Nigerians will reject the APC,” he warned.

Labour Party’s spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, blamed the defection trend on weak political structures and opportunism.

In a scathing critique, Sonny Adenuga, National Chairman of the Because Of Our Tomorrow Party, said, “Tinubu appears politically strong not because of performance, but because the PDP has failed to offer a credible alternative.”

Adenuga predicted that the defections might eventually give rise to a new, ideologically-driven political force before 2027.

Similarly, the SDP’s National Secretary, Dr. Olu Agunloye, accused the PDP and APC of being “indistinguishable in their delivery of bad governance,” declaring that “Nigeria is fast becoming a two-party state of the APC and the SDP.”

Agunloye called for opposition unity to counterbalance the growing dominance of the ruling party.