Four LP Lawmakers Defect to APC Over Internal Crisis

Four members of the House of Representatives have left the Labour Party (LP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), attributing their defection to internal crises and the absence of a functional National Working Committee in the Labour Party.

The lawmakers who switched allegiance are Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West, Imo), Mathew Donatus (Kaura, Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani, Cross River), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo, Edo).

Announcing their defection on Thursday, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas congratulated the lawmakers and welcomed them to the APC fold. “Your decision to join the APC at this time is commendable, and I believe you have made the right choice for your constituents and for national progress,” Abbas said.

In addition to the LP defections, Erhriatake Ibori-Suenu, representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in Delta State, also defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

The defections have sparked reactions from opposition leaders. Minority Whip Ali Isa and Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi criticized the lawmakers' actions, describing them as a betrayal of their party's principles.

Ozodinobi, a prominent Labour Party leader, expressed his disapproval, accusing the defectors of abandoning ideology for political convenience. “The APC is the party that has brought untold hardship and hunger to Nigerians, and it is unfortunate that some of our colleagues have decided to align with them,” he said.

The Labour Party is yet to issue an official statement addressing the defections, which come amid mounting concerns over the party’s internal cohesion and organizational structure.