SIX members of the House of Representatives on Thursday, October 30, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, read their defection letters during plenary, confirming the lawmakers’ switch to the APC.
Those who defected include Nnolim John Nnaji (Nkanu East/Nkanu West), Anayo Onwuegbu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River), Martins Oke (Igbo Etiti/Uzo Uwani), Obetta Mark Chidiebere (Nsukka/Igboeze South), Dennis Nnamdi Agbo (Igbo-Eze North/Udenu)—all from Enugu State—and Daniel Asama (Jos North/Bassa) from Plateau State.
The lawmakers said they left their parties due to “irreconcilable internal crises” and the need to align with “progressive leadership.”
Speaking on behalf of the Enugu lawmakers, Nnolim Nnaji said their decision followed Governor Peter Mbah’s defection to the APC earlier this month.
“With your blessing and in line with our collective decision to stand firmly with our visionary Governor, Dr, Barrister Peter Ndubisi Mbah, we formally announce our defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Nnaji said.
He added that joining the ruling party would enable Enugu lawmakers to secure federal projects and end years of political isolation.
“For too long, our dear Enugu State has remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the destiny of our nation and accessed opportunities that could have transformed our people’s lives. That era is over,” he added.
Nnaji said their collective focus would now be to attract infrastructure, youth empowerment initiatives, and increased federal presence to their constituencies.
Backstory
Earlier this month, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, defected from the PDP to the APC after months of speculation.
During a statewide broadcast on October 14, 2025, Mbah said his defection was a deliberate step to connect Enugu and the South-East region to the Federal Government in Abuja.
“Today, after a long reflection, we have decided to join the All Progressives Congress,” Mbah said.
He described the decision as a painful but necessary choice to better serve the state’s people. He further argued that the defection aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
Mbah defected alongside members of his State Executive Council, the Enugu House of Assembly, local government chairmen, councillors, and several political appointees.
The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, hailed the governor’s entry into the party as a defining moment for the ruling party’s expansion in the South-East.
The development followed similar defections by Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, both of whom joined the APC earlier in 2025 with their cabinets.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M