The third democratically elected governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senator Orji, who represented Abia Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2015 to 2023, had announced his retirement from active politics a few months ago but did not formally renounce his PDP membership at the time.
His defection comes months after his son, former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, left the PDP amid the internal crisis rocking the party. Political observers had widely interpreted the younger Orji’s move to the APC as a signal of his father’s likely defection.
That speculation has now been confirmed, as the former governor—who has largely maintained a low public profile since announcing his retirement—formally exited the PDP for the APC, a move analysts say had long been anticipated.
Observers note that Orji’s defection further weakens the PDP in Abia State, given his influence and long-standing role as one of the party’s major rallying points and financiers in the state.
Confirming the development, his media aide, Mr. Ifeanyi Umere, said the decision was personal, adding that no official reason was given for the move.
While some stakeholders have welcomed the development, describing it as a boost to the APC and opposition politics in Abia State, others have expressed concern that the defection could significantly undermine the PDP’s structure and its chances of reclaiming political dominance in the state.
