Five Labour Party Lawmakers Defect to APC, Citing Internal Division

Five lawmakers from the Labour Party (LP) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the House of Representatives resumed its plenary session on Thursday.

The defectors are Esosa Iyawe (Edo), Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Matthew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau). Additionally, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta), a lawmaker and daughter of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, also left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC.

The lawmakers cited internal division within the Labour Party as the main reason for their defection.

After more than 20 years since its formation, the Labour Party made significant strides in mainstream politics during the 2023 elections, securing six Senate seats and over 34 seats in the House of Representatives. This was a stark contrast to its performance in the 2019 National Assembly elections, where the party failed to win any seats.

Despite the strong showing in 2023, which saw LP presidential candidate Peter Obi finish third, many had expected the Labour Party to become a major opposition force alongside the PDP against the ruling APC. However, internal conflicts within the party have since hindered its progress.