More than 5,000 members of the Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The mass defection was marked by a rally held in Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, and was attended by key APC figures including the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, Enugu APC Chairman Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, House of Representatives member Sunday Umeha, and Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike Muonso, Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.
In his remarks, Nnaji said the growing support for APC in Enugu reflects increased public appreciation for the federal projects being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He criticized the state government for what he described as poor economic management and high taxation under Governor Peter Mbah.
“Enugu is now the second most expensive city in Nigeria despite being a civil service town. A sachet water hawker pays between N300 and N500 in daily tax, which adds up to over N100,000 yearly,” Nnaji claimed, blaming mismanagement of tax revenue for lack of infrastructure and services.
He praised former APGA candidate Celestine Attah for leading the group of defectors and pledged more federal projects and employment opportunities for the state.
Nnaji also stated that the APC in Enugu has undergone significant restructuring, moving from what he called a “mercantile party” to a unified and competitive force ahead of 2027.
In his own remarks, APC State Chairman Chief Agballah expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the state, including the reconstruction and dualization of the Ninth Mile–Opi–Makurdi road.
Agballah criticized the PDP’s long-standing control of Igbo-Etiti, claiming it led to decades of infrastructural neglect. He said that only under the current APC-led federal government have residents seen real development.
