The ruling All Progressives Congress on Thursday further strengthened its political dominance following the defection of five members of the Enugu State caucus in the House of Representatives to the party.
Also, the member representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Daniel Asama, also left the Labour Party for the APC.
With the latest defections, the APC now holds a commanding majority of 243 members in the lower chamber, constituting more than two-thirds of the membership of the Green Chamber, while the Peoples Democratic Party has been reduced to 72.
The Labour Party’s representation has dropped to 21 members, while the New Nigeria People’s Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance retain 15 and five members, respectively.
The Social Democratic Party has two members, while the African Democratic Congress and the Young Progressives Party have one member each.
This development places all eight federal constituencies in Enugu State firmly under the APC banner.
Recall that in the 2023 National Assembly election, the LP won seven seats, while the PDP secured one, leaving none to the APC despite President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election.
The trio of Paul Nnamchi, Chimaobi Atu, and Sunday Umeha had earlier defected from the LP to the APC, while Dennis Agbo and Mark Obetta left the LP for the PDP a few weeks ago.
On Thursday, Agbo and Obetta dumped the PDP again for the APC, while Nnaji, the only lawmaker elected on the platform of the PDP, also joined the defection train.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, witnessed the defection on the floor of the House.
Addressing journalists after the event, spokesman of the defecting lawmakers and member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Nnaji, said they decided to join hands with Mbah to move Enugu forward.
“Today, we stand before you filled with joy, conviction, and purpose. With your blessing and in line with our collective decision to stand firmly with our visionary governor, Dr Peter Mbah, we will formally announce our defection to the APC.
“This is not just a political move; it is a bold step into the future, a step borne out of courage, clarity, and our shared determination to reposition Enugu State for greatness.
“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. We refuse to remain spectators when we can be key players in Nigeria’s progress,” he said.
Nnaji further said that by aligning with the APC, the party steering national transformation, they were connecting their constituency to the heartbeat of national development.
“This alignment will bring more projects, more jobs, better infrastructure, and greater empowerment for our youths, women, and communities.
“This decision wasn’t made on impulse. It comes from deep reflection and a burning desire to see our people rise above limits and take their rightful place in the national spotlight.
“We salute our governor, Peter Mbah, for his courage, foresight, and leadership. He has shown us that true progress demands bold choices,” he added.
He lauded Mbah for his transformational leadership, changing the face of Enugu in less than three years.
“We have decided to team up with our amiable and dynamic governor, who has, through his transformational leadership, changed the face of Enugu State in just two years.
“Through Governor Mbah, Enugu State has become the reference point for good leadership.
“We, therefore, commend Governor Mbah for his developmental exploits in education, aviation, science and information technology, and indeed all areas of human endeavour.
“Today, there is security of lives and property, and investors are flooding into Enugu State to take advantage of the fertile environment provided by the governor,” he added.
The lawmaker stressed that politics should not divide the people, but should rather empower them to serve better.
“With the defection, we open the gates of a new dawn, a dawn of hope, inclusion, and prosperity; a dawn where Enugu State takes its rightful place in the story of Nigeria’s progress,” he said.
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