Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, who represents Edo South Senatorial District, has finalized plans to defect from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, Imasuen confirmed that he will officially declare for the APC on Thursday, June 12, in Benin City, the Edo State capital. He said his decision was driven by the deteriorating state of the Labour Party, which he described as being in complete disarray and lacking effective leadership.
“As we speak today, the Labour Party, LP has lost direction, is a party that you cannot really say who is the Chairman of the party, the party has lost direction,” Imasuen said. “I heard from some quarters that with the crisis in the Labour Party, it may be difficult for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to download the name of the candidate because of the issue of who is the authentic national Chairman of the party.”
He further noted, “Over the past months, it has become increasingly clear to me that the Labour Party as it currently stands, has become disconnected from the aspirations of the very Nigerians it seeks to lead. Internal divisions, lack of ideological clarity, and inability to provide a credible, forward-looking agenda have made it difficult for leaders like me to pursue the reform of the political party.”
Senator Imasuen attributed part of his decision to the leadership style and bold policy decisions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he believes are essential for national development. According to him, supporting the President’s agenda is now a priority.
“The APC offers a more viable platform through which I can develop my national interest. The APC is a platform through which I can effectively serve my constituents. Advocating for progressive policies, I help move Nigeria forward,” he stated.
He continued, “I am also very happy that we have somebody like the President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is steering the ship of affairs today. I say so because of his courage. It takes courage to be able to do what he has done, and what he continues to do. He has brought about certain policies that I believe that, as a matter of time, will begin to yield dividends. He’s not afraid to take on those issues that many of his predecessors stayed away from, just because they are interested in elections. And for that, I salute him, and that is why I admire him because of that courage that he has to push the ship forward.”
With Imasuen’s defection, the APC’s strength in the 10th Senate has risen to 69, further reinforcing the party’s majority in the upper legislative chamber.
Following the update, the current composition of the Senate now stands as: APC – 69; PDP – 30; Labour Party – 4; NNPP – 1; SDP – 2; and APGA – 1.
Meanwhile, the recent defection of Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC has reportedly influenced two PDP senators from the state to follow suit. They are Senators Sampson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South) and Etim Bassey Aniekan (Akwa Ibom North-East).
Once they make their defection official on the floor of the Senate, the new alignment will see APC with 71 senators, PDP reduced to 28, while LP, NNPP, SDP, and APGA maintain their current numbers.
