Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State have defected from the PDP and YPP to APC

 Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State have defected from the PDP and YPP to APC

Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State have officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Their letters of defection were read on the floor of the House by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday, July 3. The lawmakers cited unresolved internal crises and leadership struggles within their former parties as key reasons for their decision.

The defecting lawmakers are Hon. Unyime Idem, Hon. Martin Esin, Hon. Paul Ekpo, Hon. Uduak Alphonsos, Hon. Eteh Ikpong, Hon. Emmanuel Udom, and Hon. Okon Bassey.

Their move follows a similar shift by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC.

In their statements, the lawmakers emphasized that their decision came after wide consultations with their constituents. Hon. Unyime Idem, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Procurement, noted he was leaving the PDP after 26 years due to worsening leadership disputes, particularly surrounding the party’s National Secretary position. He referenced Section 68(1g) of the Constitution to justify his defection.

Hon. Martin Esin stated that he officially resigned from the PDP on June 17 to better align with the goals and expectations of his constituents.

Other lawmakers echoed similar reasons, reaffirming their commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s administration in delivering the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.