Governor Umo Eno: List of PDP Governors Who Defected To APC

• Governor Umo Eno officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, June 6, 2025
• The Akwa Ibom is not the first PDP governor to have dumped the party for the ruling party since the emergence of the APC
• The article compiled the list of all the PDP governors who dumped the party and defected to the ruling APC

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to lose its state governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) since the formation of the ruling party.

The APC has not hidden the desire to take over more states through defections of governors ahead of the 2027 elections.

The latest to join the train of PDP governors to join the ruling APC is Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom state.

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2027 election: 4 powerful PDP govs that may decamp to APC after Eno's defection

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Eno officially defected from the PDP to the APC on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Eno hinged his reason for defection on the critical admiration for President Tinubu's leadership and what he described as “three months of wide consultation” with critical stakeholders across the state.

List of PDP governors who defected to APC

As reported by The Nation, below are the PDP governors who dumped the party for APC.

• Governor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom State)

Governor Umo Eno is the latest PDP governor to have dumped the main opposition party for the APC.

Eno is the first Akwa Ibom State governor to defect to another party.

The governor’s defection could significantly alter the south-south state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.

• Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State)

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of a core PDP state since 1999 defected to the APC after months of defection rumours.

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'Why I dumped PDP for APC', Akwa Ibom governor Eno explains

Oborevwori’s defection marks a significant political shift in Delta state.

• Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State)

The current minister of work, Dave Umahi defected to APC in November 2020 during his second term as Ebonyi state Governor.

Umahi accused the PDP of marginalising the Southeast region and praised APC’s infrastructure focus under President Muhammadu Buhari.

• Ben Ayade (Cross River State)

Governor Ayade of Cross River State defected from the PDP to APC in May 2021.

Ayade claimed he wants to align Cross River state with the federal government to attract more development projects.

• Bello Matawalle (Zamfara State)

Another PD governor to dump the party for APC was Bello Matawalle in June 2021.

The minister of state for defence defected to the APC as Zamfara state governor to maintain stability and control of the state.

• Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara State)

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state defected to APC in 2014 with Bukola Saraki during the formation of the ruling party.

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He later returned to the PDP but lost the north-central state to the ruling party in the 2019 elections.

• Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto State)

Governor Aliyu Wamakko joined the APC in 2014. He was among the early defectors whose moves helped shape the APC’s victory in the 2015 general elections.

Governor Adeleke speaks on defecting from PDP to APC

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Governor Ademola Adeleke said recent rife media speculations about a likely defection are "fake news".

Governor Adeleke announced that he remains "a member and leader of the PDP in Osun state".

The Osun governor explained that the recent visit by the Adeleke dynasty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which sparked the defection insinuations is "a routine courtesy visit".

Source: Legit.ng