- Lawmakers cite “conviction” as reason for defection.
- Defections include representatives from Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, and Edo States.
- Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu, ex-Delta governor’s daughter, dumps PDP for APC.
Four members of the Labour Party (LP) caucus in the House of Representatives have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers who switched allegiance on Thursday are Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Iyawe Esosa (Edo).
Additionally, Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, also left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC.
Speaking on his decision, Donatus Mathew, representing Kaura Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, said his defection was driven by personal conviction. Mathew, who made headlines in 2023 as a commercial motorcycle rider-turned-lawmaker, stated that his move does not necessarily reflect unanimous support from his constituency.
“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,” he explained. “There are those who believe it is the right decision and others who are waiting to see the outcome.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read the lawmakers’ letters of defection during Thursday’s plenary.
