The pioneer Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Professor Udenta O. Udenta, has strongly defended Governor Peter Mbah’s decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the move was driven by strategic governance considerations rather than political self-interest.
Udenta argued that Nigerian politics should be viewed as a dynamic and complicated system, where performance, institutional strength, and the realities of power often outweigh strict party loyalty.
“Politics is not straightforward,” he said, noting that while the PDP emerged strongly in 1998 and governed Nigeria for 16 years, it has struggled since losing power in 2015. According to him, the party has been weakened by court battles, internal divisions, and pressure from influential actors within its ranks.
While acknowledging the importance of party ideology, Udenta said leaders are sometimes forced to make tough and unpopular choices in order to protect governance and political survival.
Using Enugu State as an example, he explained that Governor Mbah’s defection should be understood from a technocratic and strategic standpoint, rather than through emotional or partisan reactions.
“I’m from Enugu State, and Peter Mbah was one of the PDP’s strongest figures before he crossed over to the APC,” Udenta said. “When it happened, the first question I asked was why he would move to another party that is also facing national challenges.”
He said Mbah’s government has focused heavily on innovation, infrastructure, education, aviation, urban renewal, and revenue generation, all guided by a broader vision to align Enugu with global development standards.
“This isn’t about party names,” Udenta explained. “It’s about blending technocratic energy with political strength and wide influence. The real issue is how to protect reforms, innovation, and performance within a political structure that can sustain them.”
According to him, the APC—despite its limited popularity in parts of the South-East—offers greater institutional stability, federal influence, and political backing, which may be critical for a reform-oriented governor operating on a fragile opposition platform.
“Maybe the PDP won’t recover quickly. Maybe the legal problems are too many. Maybe the party needs to rediscover its core values,” Udenta said. “But governance cannot be put on hold.”
He extended this reasoning to other states, citing Rivers State as an example where governors sometimes realign politically to survive internal party crises.
“When a governor is under intense pressure, the real question becomes whether to stay on a platform weakened by internal conflicts or move to one that offers protection and stability,” he said.
Udenta acknowledged that some of Governor Mbah’s reforms have caused short-term discomfort, particularly around taxation and economic adjustments, but described them as necessary steps toward long-term growth.
“Yes, people are feeling the impact now,” he admitted. “But the governor’s message is that the pain is temporary, the restructuring is essential, and the end result will be a stronger and more prosperous Enugu for future generations.”
He contrasted Enugu’s clear reform direction with what he described as a lack of coherence at the national level, arguing that citizens are more willing to endure hardship when they can see progress and understand the path to relief.
Udenta concluded that Governor Mbah’s political decision should be seen as a calculated realignment aimed at sustaining reform, innovation, and long-term electoral relevance—not blind loyalty to any party.
“At the end of the day, politics should serve development,” he said. “Governor Mbah’s approach is about strategic disruption—using power, technology, and innovation to rebuild a state, not about party labels.”