Abaribe Says He Will Never Join APC Amid Wave of Defections
- Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said he would never defect to the APC, despite the growing number of defections
- Abaribe spoke on Channels Television, where he reacted to the recent defection of several governors from the PDP to the APC
- He questioned the political consistency of governors who opposed President Tinubu in 2023 but later joined the ruling party
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District, has said he will never consider defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the growing wave of defections to the party.
In recent weeks, the governors of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Enugu, Delta, Rivers, and Taraba states have all defected from the PDP to the ruling party, fueling speculation about further defections across the country.
Source: Twitter
Abaribe made the statement on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he reacted to the recent defection of several governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Reacting to the development, the former deputy governor of Abia state said he would be the last person to contemplate joining the APC.
“If there’s anybody that’s going to defect to APC, I think I should be the very last one. By the time I will defect, it means that there will be no political parties in Nigeria, including the APC.” Abaribe said.
The senator questioned the circumstances surrounding the defections, noting that many of the governors had worked against President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general election.
“Ask yourself, in all the states where there are defections, what is going on there?” he said.
“These governors were in the opposition, worked against Tinubu in 2023, and then suddenly they defect and you hand over the party to them.” Abaribe added.
Abaribe argued that the trend raised serious questions about political consistency and internal democracy.
Source: Facebook
Abaribe speaks about ADC coalition
Abaribe reaffirmed his commitment to the opposition coalition formed to challenge the APC in the 2027 general election.
He confirmed that opposition leaders had adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a common platform. Still, he to that the move was designed to impose former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the coalition’s candidate.
According to him, the ADC had yet to release its guidelines and framework for the 2027 elections.
Peter Mbah defects to APC
Legit.ng earlier reported that Enugu state governor Peter Mbah has finally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Governor Mbah defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
The governor explained his decision to dump the PDP under which he was elected in 2023, to the ruling APC.
Delta governor resigns from PDP to join APC
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Delta state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy, Monday Onyeme, and commissioners have defected from the PDP to the ruling APC.
Legit.ng reports that their defection was announced at a press briefing in Asaba on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Oborevwori’s defection to the APC is seen as a significant blow to the PDP because no other political party has governed the state since 1999.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
