…LP Condemns Move
Four members of the House of Representatives have officially defected from the Labour Party, LP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, sparking criticism from their former party.
The defections were announced on Thursday during a plenary session presided over by Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House.
The lawmakers who switched allegiance are Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Federal Constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal Constituency, Cross River), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo).
They cited alleged crises within the LP as the reason for their decision.
In addition, Erhriatake Ibori-Suenu, representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in Delta and daughter of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, also defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Speaker Abbas congratulated the defectors, describing their decision as “the right move.”
However, opposition leaders in the House were not as enthusiastic. Ali Isa, the Minority Whip, and George Ozodinobi, Deputy Minority Whip, expressed displeasure.
Ozodinobi, an LP stalwart, remarked, “When people enter a political party without ideology, you see such level of defection. APC has brought hunger to Nigerians, and lawmakers should not be joining such a party.”
The LP responded with sharp criticism, condemning the defections as a betrayal of democratic values.
Obiora Ifoh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, described the lawmakers’ actions as “irrational, untenable, and inconsistent with democracy.”
Speaking from Abuja, Ifoh announced that the party had created a “Hall of Shame” to highlight members who, in the party’s view, had dishonoured their mandate.
He emphasised that the LP intends to petition the Speaker to declare the defectors’ seats vacant, invoking Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The section mandates that lawmakers who switch parties without valid grounds, such as internal divisions within their original party, risk losing their seats.
The LP, which gained significant traction in the 2023 elections under Julius Abure’s leadership, lamented that such defections undermine the sacrifices of voters who supported the party.
The defections come amidst a wave of similar moves in recent months, with notable figures such as Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi of Imo East and several PDP legislators also joining the APC.
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