Nigeria’s political landscape is bracing for a major tremor as frontline Southeast political figure and vocal supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Hon. Josef Onoh, is reportedly set to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in what insiders are calling a “game-changing” move ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sources close to Onoh confirmed that the outspoken Enugu-born political strategist is making final arrangements to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — the same platform he abandoned in 2022. The rumored defection, expected to be formalized within days, could significantly alter the power dynamics in the Southeast and deal a strategic blow to the APC’s fragile presence in the region.
“This is not just another defection — it’s a political earthquake in the making,” a senior APC source in Enugu confided.
“Onoh was the bridge between Tinubu’s government and the Southeast electorate. Losing him will leave a vacuum that won’t be easy to fill.”
From Tinubu’s Firebrand Ally to Potential Defector
Onoh’s political odyssey has been as dramatic as it has been influential. After years as a PDP stalwart, he switched allegiance to the APC in 2022, citing frustration with the PDP’s internal wrangling and its “persistent marginalization” of the Southeast. His defection was seen as a masterstroke by the ruling party, giving the APC an energetic and articulate voice in a region long resistant to its message.
He quickly became one of the loudest defenders of President Tinubu, serving as the Southeast spokesman for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign. His robust grassroots mobilization, fiery media appearances, and town hall engagements helped the APC make modest but symbolically important inroads in Enugu and Anambra States.
Onoh’s charisma and clarity of message redefined the APC’s image in the region. He consistently argued that Tinubu’s leadership represented “an opportunity for inclusion, not exclusion,” and that the Southeast’s best path to relevance lay in “constructive partnership, not perpetual opposition.”
The APC’s Southeast Voice Under Threat
Since Tinubu’s inauguration, Onoh has remained one of his most visible defenders, frequently countering opposition attacks and amplifying the administration’s achievements. From promoting the Southeast Development Commission Bill to highlighting youth empowerment programs and infrastructure projects, he became the unofficial face of the APC in the East.
In October 2025, following the resignation of former Minister Uche Nnaji, Onoh even penned an open letter urging Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to join the APC, calling it a “pathway to federal patronage and economic dividends for the state.” His influence within and beyond party lines made him a rallying point for pro-Tinubu loyalists across the Southeast.
However, the relationship between Onoh and the APC hierarchy reportedly soured in recent months. Party insiders suggest that his outspoken criticism of “inertia” among some APC appointees and governors — particularly his call for more visible support for Tinubu during moments of international scrutiny — may have ruffled feathers within the ruling establishment.
“Onoh has always spoken truth to power, even when it was uncomfortable,” one of his associates noted. “He believes loyalty doesn’t mean silence. But not everyone in the party appreciated his candor.”
A Blow to Tinubu’s Southeast Strategy
Political observers believe that Onoh’s departure would be a serious setback for the APC’s long-term Southeast strategy. His credibility among youth and grassroots networks gave Tinubu’s administration a much-needed human face in a region often skeptical of federal power.
Losing him, analysts say, could embolden the PDP to reclaim its dominance and reinforce the perception that the APC remains a “northern-southwestern alliance” with little Southeast representation.
“If Onoh goes, the APC loses not just a member, but a movement,” political analyst Chuks Anayo told reporters. “He was the party’s single most effective communicator in the region. His defection would be a signal to others that the APC’s hold in the East is slipping.”
The Return of the Prodigal Son?
If Onoh’s rumored return to the PDP materializes, it would mark a full-circle moment for a man who once accused the party of “recycling incompetence” and “betraying regional trust.” Yet in Nigeria’s fluid political culture, such reversals are rarely permanent — they are recalibrations in pursuit of relevance and influence.
For now, Onoh has remained tight-lipped, declining to comment on his next move. But his silence has only deepened the intrigue surrounding what could be one of the most consequential political realignments of the decade.
As the countdown to 2027 begins, all eyes are on Enugu — and on Josef Onoh, the fiery strategist whose next step could redraw the Southeast’s political map.
“Politics,” as one veteran lawmaker quipped, “isn’t about permanence — it’s about positioning. And Onoh knows how to position himself better than most.”
