Four members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have defected from their respective political parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC), boosting the ruling party’s numerical strength in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
The lawmakers are Awaji Inombek (PDP), Boma Goodhead (PDP), Manuchim Umezurike (Labour Party) and Boniface Emerengwa (PDP).
Their defections were formally announced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Thursday, following the reading of separate letters submitted by the affected lawmakers.
In their letters to the House, the lawmakers attributed their decision to what they described as worsening internal crises, leadership tussles and irreconcilable divisions within their former political parties.
The development comes on the heels of the recent defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the APC, suggesting a coordinated political shift by lawmakers and allies aligning with the governor’s new political direction.
The defections reflect a broader realignment of political forces in Rivers State, as legislators loyal to the governor reposition themselves within the ruling party ahead of future electoral contests.
Governor Fubara, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor, recently joined the APC following prolonged internal disputes within the PDP, including a high-profile rift with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over control of the party’s structure in the state. His move has since triggered a wave of defections and political recalibration.
The loss of four federal lawmakers represents a major setback for the PDP in Rivers State and at the national level, further diminishing the party’s legislative strength in the National Assembly and exposing deepening cracks within its ranks.
For the APC, the defections not only increase its numbers in the House of Representatives but also enhance its strategic foothold in Rivers State, long regarded as a traditional stronghold of the PDP.
The latest development underscores a growing trend of lawmakers crossing over from opposition parties to the APC, a shift the ruling party has portrayed as a vote of confidence in its leadership, even as opposition parties accuse it of capitalising on internal party crises to weaken rivals.
