Six members of the Enugu State House of Assembly under the platform of the Labour Party have defected to the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The defected lawmakers include Ejike Eze (Igbo-Eze North 1), Johnson Ugwu (Enugu North), Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural), Pius Ezeugwu (Nsukka West), Amuka Williams (Igbo-Etiti East) and Osita Eze (Oji River).
Their defections were disclosed during the plenary on Thursday in Enugu, in a letter read by the Speaker of the House, Uche Ugwu, at the Assembly Legislative Complex.
The lawmakers attributed their defections to the “existence of irreconcilable division, an ongoing crisis within the Labour Party at the national level, and across all the state chapters.
“Regrettably, the party has evolved into a state of perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, thereby undermining its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people.”
They noted that the LP “once a beacon of hope for progressive ideas” has “regrettably become synonymous with internal squabbles, thereby reducing its capacity to fulfil the aspirations of electorates.”
The defectors expressed their optimism, that their new party, PDP, would give them the platform to serve their people committedly.
The LP took another dimension following an alleged takeover of the party’s administration by its Board of Trustees.
The move comes hours after the National Chairman, Julius Abure, was re-elected at the party’s national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.
The convention also saw all members of the National Working Committee returned.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
