The Labour Party (LP) has lost four members of its caucus in the House of Representatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Additionally, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of former Delta State governor James Ibori, left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC.
The four lawmakers who defected from LP to APC are Tochukwu Okere (Imo State), Donatus Matthew (Kaduna State), Bassey Akiba (Cross River State) and Iyawe Esosa (Edo State).
During the announcement, Donatus Matthew, representing Kaura Federal Constituency in Kaduna, explained that his decision to defect was based on personal conviction.
Matthew, who gained national attention as a commercial motorcycle rider who successfully contested the 2023 parliamentary elections, acknowledged that the decision might spark mixed reactions in 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. I am taking this decision based on conviction. That is why whether you like it or not, there are people within the constituency who are convinced that it (defection) is the right decision for them. There are those who are skeptical waiting for the outcome,” he said.
The defectors’ letters of intent to join the APC were read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during Thursday’s plenary session in the House of Representatives.
