• Says party won’t be deterred by defections

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, and Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed, yesterday, said Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah has not informed the opposition party that he is defecting.

Mohammed stated this while speaking with journalists, after the inauguration of the Publicity Sub-committee for the PDP National Convention Organizing Committee (NCOC).

Bauchi governor while noting that opposition governors were concerned over the defections of some of their colleagues, acknowledge that there was nothing they could about the situation.

However, Mohammed said the PDP would not be deterred by the defections of some of its governors, stating that no force can stop the opposition party’s national convention scheduled for November 15 and November 16, 2025.

Earlier, Mohammed while inaugurating the Publicity Sub-committee said despite that the PDP has gone through difficult periods, it has continued to weather the storm, stating no force would prevail over the opposition party.

His words: “We have been weathering the storm, and we will continue to weather the storm. This convention is here to stay. We are going to Ibadan by the grace of God. By the grace of God, no Jupiter will stop us. No dark forces will succeed over us. The dark forces — if they succeed over PDP, they have succeeded over Nigeria.

“We have to change the style of this country, and this is the beginning. This is the time to do it. We have never suffered as a country as we are suffering today under the APC. You have seen what is happening. We don’t have to go into deep melancholy and be crying as weeping boys or girls. We have to do something within the democratic space to change the nation.

“Don’t be disturbed by the defections, by the shenanigans, by all those doubting Thomases. Don’t be disturbed. Yes, you should be encouraged because staying back to fight is what makes a man or a woman. It’s an act of cowardice to leave because of one or two people. You are men and women of strength and integrity.”

In recent times, several leaders of the opposition party, including Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevbori, Akwa Ibom governor, Umo Eno, former Delta governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as several members of the National Assembly, elected on the platform of the PDP defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President, David Mark, have also dumped the PDP for the African Democratic Congress (ADC)

The APC, on Friday confirmed that the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, would formally join the ruling party on October 14, just as there were speculations that Bayelsa State governor, Diri Douye is also on his way out of the PDP.

Nonetheless, the Bauchi governor noted that the defections notwithstanding, the PDP is determined to hold a successful national convention, where it will elect a new leadership that will the battle to dislodge the APC in 2027.