Ex-Abia Governor, Theodore Orji Defects to APC

Boniface Okoro in Umuahia

A former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji (Ochendo), has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senator Orji’s defection was confirmed after he had completed the necessary membership formalities with the ruling party at the federal level, a move political analysts say would spark major political realignments in the state.

Orji, elected governor in 2007 on the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) platform, was re-elected in 2011 on the ticket of  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on which  platform he contested and won the Abia Central Senatorial seat in 2015 and 2019 consecutively and represented the zone in the Senate for two terms.

Orji, who represented Abia Senatorial District, retired voluntarily from active politics in 2023 after eight years in the National Assembly.

The former two-term governor fondly called Ochendo by admirers recently resigned from the PDP.

Orji’s entry into the APC is expected to strengthen the party in Abia and may reshape alignments ahead of 2027 elections.

Party stakeholders have described the development as a boost to the APC’s growing influence in the South-east.

Although Orji has yet to publicly state reasons for his decision to dump PDP, political observers say the defection reflects ongoing shifts within Nigeria’s political landscape, as prominent figures continue to reassess their affiliations.

The move adds to a series of recent defections across party lines, underscoring intensifying competition and strategic repositioning among major political actors nationwide.