In a significant blow to the Labour Party, five of its members in the House of Representatives defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday. The lawmakers, who include Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau), had their letter of defection read on the Green Chamber floor by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
One of the defected lawmakers justified their decision, stating that it was based on conviction and a desire to work with people who share similar understanding and goals. “You cannot just work on the decision of the people at the constituency level because you are dealing with people with different levels of understanding,” the lawmaker explained.
The defection is seen as a significant setback for the Labour Party, which had pulled off a major surprise in the last general election of 2023, winning major seats across the country. It is unclear if the decision has anything to do with the internal crisis embroiling the Labour Party.
