The Pioneer Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Prof. Udenta O. Udenta, has mounted a robust defence of Governor Peter Mbah’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a product of strategic governance thinking, not political opportunism.
Udenta argued that Nigerian politics must be understood as a complex, fluid enterprise, shaped by performance, institutional survival, and the realities of power rather than rigid party loyalty.
“Politics is a complex business,” Udenta said. “The PDP started strong in 1998 and governed Nigeria for 16 years, but since its defeat in 2015, the party has been struggling—crippled by legal challenges, internal contradictions, and institutional strain imposed by governors, lawmakers, and other stakeholders.”
He noted that while party ideology remains important, governance performance and political survival often compel leaders to make difficult, sometimes unpopular decisions.
Using Enugu State as a case study, Udenta said Governor Mbah’s defection should be viewed through the lens of technocratic governance and strategic calculation, not partisan sentiment.
“I’m from Enugu State. Governor Peter Mbah was one of the leading lights of the PDP before his defection to the APC. When it happened, my immediate question was simple: why move to another party that also appears troubled nationally?” he said.
However, Udenta explained that his perspective shifted after spending weeks in Enugu during the Christmas and New Year holidays, engaging directly with residents and assessing developments on the ground.
“For the first time in six years, I truly went home, put my ears to the ground, and asked hard questions. What I saw was a technocratic mindset that is disruptive—in a positive sense—redefining what Enugu has become,” he stated.
According to him, Mbah’s administration has prioritised innovation, infrastructure, education, aviation, urban renewal, and revenue generation, driven by a grand vision to reposition Enugu within global best practices.
“This is not about party labels. It is about how to combine technocratic zeal with political strength and depth of penetration,” Udenta said. “The question becomes: how do you protect reform, innovation, and performance within a political structure that can sustain it?”
He suggested that the APC, despite its unpopularity in parts of the South-East, offers institutional stability, federal leverage, and political protection that may be necessary for a reform-driven governor navigating a fragile opposition platform.
“Maybe the PDP will not recover in time. Maybe the legal challenges are enormous. Maybe the party needs to reconnect with its soul,” he said. “In the meantime, governance cannot wait.”
Udenta extended the argument to other states, citing Rivers State as an example of how governors sometimes seek political realignment for survival amid internal party conflicts.
“When a governor is under siege, the question becomes whether to remain in a platform weakened by internal battles or seek sanctuary where the state apparatus can offer protection,” he noted.
He stressed that Governor Mbah’s reforms—though painful in the short term—are part of a broader economic and institutional restructuring designed to deliver long-term benefits.
“Yes, people feel immediate pain. There are questions about taxation and adjustment,” Udenta acknowledged. “But the message from the governor is clear: the pain is temporary, the restructuring is necessary, and the outcome will be a stronger, more prosperous Enugu for future generations.”
Udenta contrasted what he described as Enugu’s coherent reform trajectory with the lack of clarity at the national level, arguing that citizens are more willing to endure hardship when there is visible progress and a clear timeline for relief.
“When pain is imposed, people must see evidence—not just macroeconomic theory—that their lives will improve within a defined timeframe,” he said.
He concluded that Mbah’s political choices should be understood as part of a strategic recalibration, driven by performance, innovation, and long-term electoral viability rather than blind partisan allegiance.
“In the end, politics must serve development,” Udenta said. “And Governor Mbah’s governance is about strategic disruption—using power, technology, and innovation to rebuild a state—not about party labels.”
