Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State have defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defections were officially announced during Thursday’s plenary session of the House of Representatives, which was broadcast live on NASS TV via YouTube.
The lawmakers who switched political allegiance are ; Unyime Idem, Martins Esin, Paul Ekpo, Uduak Alphonsus, Okpolupm Etteh, Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo and Mark Esset
Martins Esin, representing the Oron/Mbo/Okobo/Udung Uko/Urueoffong Oruko Federal Constituency, explained that internal leadership struggles within the PDP prompted his move.
“Due to leadership crisis and divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party, consequently, I have chosen to pursue my legislative mandate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Esin stated in a letter addressed to the House leadership.
House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas formally welcomed the defectors, applauding their decision and encouraging support from fellow APC members during the session.
The wave of defections comes just weeks after Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno also announced his defection from the PDP to the APC.
Governor Eno, who was elected under the PDP in 2023, made his move official on June 6, 2025, during a ceremony at the Government House in Uyo.
He submitted his resignation to his PDP ward chairperson before declaring his decision to “progressively move to the APC.”
The event was attended by top APC leaders nationwide, signaling a strategic consolidation of political power in Akwa Ibom by the ruling party.
These developments suggest a deepening crisis within the PDP in the state and growing momentum for the APC ahead of future political contests.
Source – BarristerNG
(vitalnewsngr.com)
