All members of the Enugu State caucus in the House of Representatives have formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection was announced on Thursday by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, who read letters of resignation submitted by the lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) during plenary.
The announcement was made in the presence of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, who attended the session to witness the development.
The lawmakers attributed their defection to what they described as unresolved internal crises within their former parties, which they said had weakened the opposition and hindered effective representation.
Following the 2023 general election, the Labour Party had won seven of the eight House of Representatives seats in Enugu State, while the PDP secured one. With Thursday’s defection, the APC now controls the entire Enugu caucus in the Green Chamber.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, the member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Nnolim Nnaji, said their decision was driven by the need to align with the “project-oriented administration” of Governor Mbah and the development agenda of the APC-led Federal Government.
“Just come to Enugu and see what is happening there. The governor is doing a lot for our people. We also want to bring our state to the centre,” Nnaji said.
He described the move as “a bold step into the future,” aimed at connecting Enugu to national opportunities and development.
“For too long, our dear Enugu State has remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the destiny of our nation. That era is over. By aligning with the APC — the party steering national transformation — we are connecting our constituency to the heartbeat of national development,” he added.
The lawmakers who defected include Martins Oke, Anayo Onwuegbu, Nnamdi Agbo, Nnolim Nnaji, and Mark Obetta.
In a related development, Daniel Asama, representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency in Plateau State, also announced his defection from the Labour Party to the APC.