ABUJA — The gale of defections in the House of Representatives intensified on Thursday as seven federal lawmakers from Akwa Ibom State officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing irreconcilable internal crises within their former parties.
During Thursday’s plenary, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, read letters from the defecting lawmakers, marking a significant political realignment in the state’s representation at the national level.
Among the defectors, six were elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while one, Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, was previously a member of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
The PDP lawmakers who crossed over to the APC include:
- Paul Ekpo
- Unyime Idem
- Martins Etim
- Okpolu Ukpong Etteh
- Uduak Odudoh
- Okon Ime Bassey
In their letters, the lawmakers cited what they described as “protracted internal wrangling, lack of direction, and irreparable divisions” within the PDP, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, as the driving force behind their decision.
“We can no longer continue under a political platform that has lost touch with its foundational principles and can no longer guarantee cohesion or unity of purpose,” one of the letters read in part.
The development comes just weeks after Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom also defected to the APC, signaling a possible shift in the state’s long-standing political landscape, historically dominated by the PDP.
Reacting to the mass defection, Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), strongly condemned the move and called it “unconstitutional and politically motivated.” He accused the defectors of acting out of personal interest rather than principle.
Chinda invoked Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that any lawmaker who defects from their sponsoring political party without a justifiable division should vacate their seat. He urged the Speaker to apply the law and declare the affected seats vacant.
“The so-called division being claimed is neither recognised by the courts nor reflected in the structure of the PDP at any level. These defections are not just a betrayal of the electorate’s mandate, but also a blatant violation of the Constitution,” Chinda stated.
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The defecting lawmakers, however, maintained that the dysfunction within the PDP had made it impossible to effectively represent their constituencies, and insisted their move to the APC was necessary to align with a platform that would support development initiatives and deliver on campaign promises.
As tensions rise within the House, the issue is expected to trigger fresh legal and political debates around the constitutional implications of such mass defections. Meanwhile, the PDP leadership is reportedly considering legal options to challenge the defections and reclaim the vacated mandates.
The political climate in Akwa Ibom and beyond is set to witness further shake-ups as the 2027 general elections draw nearer.
