A member of the House of Representatives, Benedict Etanabene, has faulted some members of the Labour Party for dumping the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Etanabene, who represents Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State, blamed the defection of the members on the 2027 general election.

He particularly said the lawmakers were concerned about the turnout of the recently held governorship elections in Edo and Ondo State that produced APC candidates as the respective winners.

According to the lawmaker, there is no crisis in the LP that would warrant the defection of the lawmakers to the ruling side.

“There is no leadership crisis in the Labour Party,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “If it is about those issues, I can tell you that the larger number of those who just left are people that believe in the leadership of Julius Abure.

“It is not only Labour Party. I am expecting the trend from other opposition parties. What happened in Edo and Ondo is frightening to the extent that in 2027, it is going to be business as usual for APC. They have started thinking of positioning themselves.”

When asked if it is a threat for him in 2027, the lawmaker said that nothing would make him dump the LP for another party.

The lawmaker lamented that votes do not count in Nigeria, calling for a change in the system.

He also urged politicians to embrace morality in politics and avoid dumping from a party that elected them into a political office.

Four members of the Labour Party Caucus in the lower chamber defected to APC on Thursday. The lawmakers are Chinedu Okere (Owerri municipal/owerri north/Owerri west constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura federal constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar municipal/Odukpani constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo federal constituency of Edo).

…Says We Foresee Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu Returning To PDP After 2027 General Elections

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, has said that the defection of Chief James Ibori’s daughter, Hon Erhiatake.Ibori-Suenu, was foreseeable and never a surprise to the good people of Delta State.

He made the assertion when he was asked to comment on the defection of the former PDP member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Erhiatake Ibori, assuring that her exit from the party is grossly inconsequential, a big relief and a good omen that was long awaited.

The Orientation and Communications Bureau Director General, further disclosed that PDP political structures in Ethiope Federal Constituency is solid, unshakable, members are united, and shall deliver the party effortlessly in the forthcoming general elections, and more particularly the governorship election.

He noted that prior to 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, Chief James Ibori invited leaders of Ethiope Federal Constituency to his country home in Oghara where he assured leaders of PDP that his daughter, Hon Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu should be allowed one tenure to complete the two tenure slots of Ethiope West LGA, so that Ethiope East can take her turn in 2027 under the irrevocable internal power rotation agreement in Delta PDP.

Oghenesivbe, who was a campaign spokesperson for Delta PDP in 2023 general elections, pointed out that Ethiope East agreed to Chief Ibori’s proposal and thereafter delivered his daughter clean and clear in a transparent, free and fair election, noting that Hon Erhiatake Ibor ‘s defection to the opposition party in the state was a deliberate attempt to truncate the promise made by Chief Ibori, so as to return his daughter for a second tenure, so as to shortchange Ethiope East LGA in 2027.

He assured that Chief Ibori’s daughter will obviously face political brick walls within and outside their party in 2027, as.PDP is poised to clinch overwhelming victory under the political leadership of the state governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, adding that the enviable performance of the ruling party in the state through the instrumentality of the MORE agenda would resonate with the people at the polls.

“The defection of Hon Erhiatake Ibori suffered unexplainable delays for obvious reasons. The political calculation by Chief Ibori camp was that they can eat their cake and have it after the 2023 general elections. But alas, the reverse was the case.

“They (Chief Ibori Camp) have now decided to opt out of PDP instalmentally. We clearly understand their politics of one leg in and one leg out, the Weysom Wike style.

“We.lost Ethiope West to the opposition party in the House of Assembly in 2023 due to the political deceit of some political actors whose one leg is in PDP and the other leg in the major opposition party in the state, some people call it smart anti party politics, just like what Chief Wike is doing in Rivers State at the moment.

“The video clips of 2023 governorship election in Oghara is still in the archive. At the appropriate time we shall do the needful, it’s not yet time for 2027 electioneering politics.

“Deltans are not surprised that Erhiatake Ibori defected to the major opposition party. They knew it will come and here we are. The coast is now very clear for all to see and appreciate.

“PDP will never miss Hon Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, rather we foresee her returning to PDP after 2027 general elections,” Oghenesivbe assured

The Labour Party has vowed to declare vacant the seats of the four lawmakers representing the party in the National Assembly who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that on Thursday four LP lawmakers from four states: Kaduna, Imo, Edo and Cross River had defected to the APC.

The lawmakers are Chinedu Okere (Owerri municipal/owerri north/Owerri west constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura federal constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar municipal/Odukpani constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo federal constituency of Edo).


In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh on Thursday, he said the Labour Party will take legal action against the defectors.

The statement reads in part, “The defection, to us, is quite unfortunate and we condemn the action which is irrational, untenable, inconsistent and alien to all known norms for which democracy stands for.

“Section 68(g) of the 1999 constitution is emphatic on when to defect and what happens when a lawmaker sponsored by a political party decides to jump ship.

“The Constitution states (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;

“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored;

“Though, the Labour Party leadership is undaunted by the defection, it has however, elected not to allow it slide and has therefore instructed its legal team to commence the legal actions against the defectors and to also commence the process of regaining our mandates in line with the 1999 constitution and 2022 Electoral Act as amended.

“The party will also approach the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by these former Labour Party members in line with the House Rules.

“It is inappropriate and unacceptable for these lawmakers to continue to function as representatives of their constituencies illegally.

“The party has also decided to open a ‘Hall of Shame’ register for these lawmakers or any lawmaker or elected officer of the party who engages in fraudulent acts of defection without first dropping the mandate gotten under the ticket of the party.”