Five Enugu lawmakers defect to the APC, giving the ruling party 243 seats in the House and solidifying its dominance in the National Assembly
Enugu lawmakers defect to APC the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has further tightened its grip on the House of Representatives following the defection of five members of the Enugu State caucus and one Labour Party lawmaker from Plateau State.
Also read: Ben Murray-Bruce defects to APC, praises Tinubu’s reforms
The latest development brings the APC’s strength in the lower chamber to 243 members a commanding two-thirds majority while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now holds 72 seats.
The Labour Party’s numbers have dropped to 21, with the New Nigeria People’s Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance retaining 15 and five members respectively.
This wave of defections effectively places all eight federal constituencies in Enugu State under the APC banner, a dramatic turnaround from the 2023 elections when the party failed to win a single seat in the state.
Among those who switched allegiance were Paul Nnamchi, Chimaobi Atu, Sunday Umeha, Dennis Agbo, Mark Obetta, and Nnaji, the lone PDP lawmaker from Enugu.
Their defection was witnessed on the House floor by Governor Peter Mbah and APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
Speaking on behalf of the defecting lawmakers, Nnaji explained that their decision to join the APC was inspired by Governor Mbah’s leadership and a shared desire to align Enugu State with the national government’s development agenda.
“This is not just a political move; it is a bold step into the future. For too long, Enugu has remained in opposition, missing out on national opportunities. That era is over,” he said.
Nnaji added that aligning with the APC, the “party steering national transformation,” would unlock greater development prospects for Enugu, including projects, infrastructure, and job creation.
He praised Governor Mbah for his “transformational leadership” in education, technology, and security, saying his achievements had turned Enugu into a “reference point for good governance.”
“Through Governor Mbah, investors are flooding into Enugu State to take advantage of the enabling environment. Politics should unite us to serve our people better,” Nnaji stated.
The move is widely seen as a strategic boost for the APC, which has been consolidating power across states since President Bola Tinubu’s election victory.
For the PDP and Labour Party, however, the defections mark another setback, deepening concerns about dwindling influence and internal instability.
Also read: Peter Mbah defects to APC in bold political shift
With Enugu’s entire federal representation now under the APC, the state’s political map has been completely redrawn signalling what many analysts call a new dawn of inclusion and strategic alignment with the national ruling party.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
