Enugu Stateโs political landscape witnessed a dramatic shift on Monday as more than 5,000 members of the Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The mass defection occurred during a political rally in Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, and was spearheaded by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji.
Chief Nnaji, accompanied by other APC stalwarts including the Enugu State party chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, and federal lawmaker Hon. Sunday Umeha, described the development as evidence of growing public support for President Bola Tinubuโs administration. He also used the occasion to strongly criticize the Enugu State government for what he called misapplication of resources and excessive taxation.
According to the Minister, Enuguโdespite being largely a civil service stateโhas become the second most expensive city in Nigeria due to harsh tax policies imposed by the PDP-led administration. โYoung girls hawking sachet water are forced to pay between โฆ300 to โฆ500 daily in taxes. Thatโs over โฆ100,000 annually. And yet, we donโt see any benefit in terms of public services,โ he lamented.
Nnaji stressed that the funds collected through these taxes should have been used to improve education, healthcare, and infrastructure across the state. He promised that with more federal support, APC would ensure better development outcomes for the people of Enugu.
A former House of Assembly candidate under APGA, Engr. Celestine Attah, was praised for rallying support and leading the wave of defectors into the APC. Attah cited President Tinubuโs appointments of Enugu indigenes to key national rolesโincluding the Chief of Naval Staff and the Vice Chancellor of UNNโas motivating factors behind the switch. He also lauded the ongoing construction of major federal roads in the state.
The rally, which turned into a major show of force for the APC in Enugu North Senatorial Zone, also featured party leaders setting sights on the 2027 elections. Chief Nnaji declared that the APC in Enugu had transformed from a โmercantileโ outfit into a restructured party ready to contest for power.
State APC Chairman, Chief Agballah, described the party’s growing influence as a rejection of decades of PDP rule that, according to him, left Enugu underdeveloped. He highlighted President Tinubuโs intervention in road projects such as the Ninth MileโOpi and Ninth MileโMakurdi expressways, noting that these roads are being built to international standards.
โFor 26 years, Igbo-Etiti suffered neglect under the PDP. Now, with an APC government they didnโt even vote for, weโre seeing true development. That should tell you something,โ Agballah said.
Hon. Umeha, speaking on behalf of the APC House of Representatives caucus from Enugu State, predicted that the party would take over the Lion BuildingโEnugu Stateโs Government Houseโin 2027. โWe are now united, focused, and determined. The future of Enugu lies with APC,โ he said.
He emphasized that the leadership of Minister Uche Nnaji has brought a sense of direction to the party in the state and pledged to ensure Enugu is fully aligned with the federal government.
As the event concluded, the message was clear: APC is aiming to break PDPโs long-standing dominance in Enugu and position itself as the vehicle for transformation in the
