Elder statesman and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees member, Chief Bode George, has expressed shock over the defection of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as unexpected and ill-timed.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, George said he was taken aback by Mbah’s sudden defection despite several interventions by PDP elders to dissuade him.
“I never saw it coming. Many leaders appealed to him, asking him to stay calm since the convention was close. Whatever position was due to the South-East would have been his,” he said.
George noted that several PDP leaders visited Enugu to persuade Mbah to remain in the party, expressing disappointment that he left after extensive efforts to restore unity in the South-East chapter.
“Many people went there to plead with him, telling him to wait. But the reasons he gave sounded unreal, like I was in a long dream,” George stated.
Despite Mbah’s exit, the PDP stalwart maintained that the party remains unshaken.
“This is not the first time people are leaving. PDP is an iroko tree — it will stand strong. The people make the party, not just the governors,” he asserted.
Mbah was formally received into the APC by top national leaders, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda. His defection gives the APC control of four out of five South-East states — Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, leaving only Anambra under APGA.
In his broadcast earlier on Tuesday, Mbah said his decision was driven by a desire to align Enugu State with the federal government for “greater development.”
“After deep reflection, we have decided to join the APC. Leadership demands tough decisions in pursuit of progress,” he said, praising President Bola Tinubu for his “massive support” to Enugu State.
Reacting to speculations about his own defection, Chief Bode George dismissed them outright, saying:
“That is absolutely impossible. PDP remains absolutely redeemable.”
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