Uproar in the House of Representatives as opposition protests the defection of another Labour Party Rep to APC
The defection of another Labour Party (LP) lawmaker to the All Progressives Congress (APC) sparked an uproar on the floor of the House on Thursday, with opposition members protesting the move and calling for the lawmaker’s seat to be declared vacant.
Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas (APC Kaduna), announced the defection of Rep. Ajang Alfred Iliya, who represents Jos South/Jos East federal constituency of Plateau State, from the LP to the APC.
The decision, which marks the sixth defection from the LP to the APC in a week, was witnessed by former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong.
In his letter of defection, Rep. Iliya cited internal crises within the Labour Party and a desire to align with the APC’s national development agenda under President Bola Tinubu‘s administration. He also claimed that joining the APC would enable him to provide better representation to his constituents and play a more effective role in peacebuilding efforts.
The announcement was met with an uproar from opposition lawmakers. Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers), argued that the defection violated constitutional provisions and that Rep. Iliya’s seat should be declared vacant.
He insisted that the lawmaker should first formally join the APC at his ward level before submitting his defection letter to the House.
Chinda accused “the House of putting the cart before the horse and accepting the letter of defection without the lawmaker complying with the provisions of the Constitution.”
However, Rep. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau) countered, asserting that Rep. Iliya had fulfilled the necessary conditions for defection. He also emphasized that Section 40 of the Constitution allows individuals to freely associate and join any political party. Gagdi noted that seven out of the eight Plateau State lawmakers in the House now belong to the APC and as such Plateau is now an APC state.
Other lawmakers weighed in on the controversy. Rep. Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa Ibom) stressed the importance of lawmakers upholding the Constitution to maintain public trust, while former Deputy Speaker Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase (APC Plateau) defended the speaker’s acceptance that the defection letter was in order.
Deputy Minority Whip, Rep. George Ozodinobi ( LP Anambra) refrained from opposing the defection but maintained that there was no crisis in the Labour Party. He remarked, “To those defecting to the APC, I wish you good luck. We will meet again in 2027. The end will justify the means.”
