Labour Party Loses Another House of Representatives Member to APC Amid Internal Crisis
Abuja/Enugu, May 22, 2025 – The Labour Party (LP) has suffered another major blow as Hon. Sunday Umehia, the House of Representatives member representing Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency in Enugu State, officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The defection was announced during plenary at the National Assembly, with Umehia citing the prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party as the primary reason for his departure.
Reasons for Defection
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and read on the floor, Umehia explained that the Labour Party has been engulfed in a protracted leadership crisis, with three factions led by Senator Nenadi Usman, Barrister Julius Abure, and Alhaji Lamidi Apapa all claiming control. This factionalism has left members confused and uncertain about who to follow, undermining the party’s cohesion and effectiveness.
Umehia stated:
“Senator Nenadi Usman, Barrister Julius Abure, and Alhaji Lamidi Apapa have continued to lay claim to the leadership of the party, while members are at a loss as to who they should defer to.”
He expressed his resolve to join the APC to work alongside President Bola Tinubu and the party leadership to provide effective governance, especially for the South-East region:
“I have resolved to join the APC and team up with the President and the leadership of the APC to provide leadership for the country and the South East in particular.”
Political Impact and Trends
Umehia’s defection is part of a broader wave of defections from opposition parties to the APC since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023. Over 30 lawmakers have switched parties, with the APC gaining the majority of these defectors from the PDP, Labour Party, Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Minority Leader’s Reaction
Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda condemned the constant defections, describing them as detrimental to Nigeria’s democracy and calling for constitutional reforms to curb the practice. He urged the Speaker to exercise his constitutional power to declare the seats of defectors vacant to uphold democratic principles.
Chinda also noted that the Supreme Court’s recent judgment has settled the Labour Party’s leadership crisis, meaning it can no longer be used as a justification for defection. He further called for defectors to vacate their leadership positions in House committees, allowing their parties to nominate replacements in line with standing orders.
Local Rally and Support
Prior to the official defection announcement, Umehia held a mini-rally in Ibagwa-Aka, Igboeze South Local Government Area, where he and over 1,000 Labour Party members and local party structures formally joined the APC. Business mogul Chief Joshua Ogbonna, a key financier of the Labour Party in the area, led the mass defection.
Enugu State APC Chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, welcomed the defectors, affirming that the APC is poised to take over governance in Enugu State in 2027 after 26 years of PDP dominance.
