Labour Party Loses Seventh House Of Reps Member To Ruling APC

 

Another lawmaker under the platform of the Labour Party has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), making a total of seven federal lawmakers to exit the LP in one week.

The House of Representatives member representing Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Plateau State, Mr Ajang Iliya defected barely a week after the LP lost six of its members in the House to the APC.

At the plenary session, the House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas announced Iliya’s defection.

Reading the letter of defection to the APC, Abbas cited “the crisis in the leadership of the Labour Party,” and other related issues as reasons for the development.

Iliya further stated in his letter that he “finds it difficult to align with LP’s position on current issues.”

Earlier Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo) and Daulyop Fom (Plateau) all defected from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress.

One of the now defected lawmakers justified the decision to leave the Labour Party to the APC.

“You cannot just work on the decision of the people at the constituency level because you are dealing with people with different levels of understanding.”

“I am taking this decision based on conviction. That is why whether you like it or not, there are people within the constituency who are convinced that it (defection) is the right decision for them. There are those who are skeptical waiting for the outcome,” he said.

Another lawmaker Daniel Chollom, under the Labour Party, had announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday.

Justifying his decision, he cited the  Labour Party’s leadership crisis and his desire to support the President in national development.

Chollom argued that the party’s internal conflicts had made it difficult for him to align with any faction, hindering his ability to deliver effective representation.