The Labour Party (LP) has lost five of its lawmakers in the House of Representatives to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Those who defected are Esosa Iyawe (Edo), Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Matthew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
Another lawmaker, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu from Delta State, left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC.
Their letter of defection to the APC was read on the floor of the Green Chamber by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday.
Confirming the development, Matthew, who represents Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, said the decision to defect to the APC is based on conviction.
Asked if his imminent defection has the backing of his Constituency, Matthew who made history when he won the parliamentary election in 2023 as a commercial motorcycle rider said, “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 Labour Party made big gains in the 2023 elections, winning over 34 House of Representatives seats and six Senate positions.
This was a huge improvement compared to 2019 when it did not win any seats.
However, after the elections, disagreements within the party have caused problems.
These defections show that the Labour Party is struggling to stay united, even after its strong performance earlier in the year.
Many had hoped it would become a strong opposition, but internal issues are making that difficult.
Labour reacts
The Labour Party (LP) has announced plans to take legal action against five of its lawmakers in the House of Representatives who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Labour Party expressed disappointment, stating that the defections were unjustified.
The party referenced the 1999 Constitution, which requires a valid reason, such as internal division, for a lawmaker to switch parties without losing their seat.
The party said these lawmakers abandoned their mandate and betrayed the trust of voters who supported them under the Labour Party platform.
According to the party, these lawmakers benefited from its support during the 2023 general elections, where the Labour Party achieved historic victories.
Many of these candidates, the party claimed, were ordinary citizens who gained political opportunities through LP’s grassroots-focused policies.
Despite the party’s assistance during their campaigns and legal battles, the defectors have allegedly failed to contribute back to the party.
The Labour Party has instructed its legal team to pursue the retrieval of the defectors’ mandates and will also ask the Speaker of the House to declare their seats vacant.
Furthermore, the party plans to create a “Hall of Shame” to document cases of defections it considers a betrayal of public trust.
The party urged Nigerians to hold such politicians accountable in future elections, describing their actions as a disregard for democratic values and loyalty to voters.
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