Four Rivers Lawmakers Dump LP, PDP for APC Caucus in House Defection Wave

Abuja, Dec. 19 – The House of Representatives experienced another jolt in its partisan landscape Thursday as four opposition lawmakers from Rivers State formally ditched their parties to join the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Majority Caucus, citing deep-seated leadership turmoil within their former platforms.

The defectors – Rep. Manuchim Umezuruike (Labour Party, Port Harcourt I), Rep. Boniface Emerengwa (PDP, Emohua/Ikwerre), Rep. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante (PDP, Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro), and Rep. Boma Goodhead (PDP, Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru) – announced their decisions during plenary proceedings on December 18. Umezuruike, reading a joint letter on the floor, lamented the “irreconcilable internal crises” in LP and PDP, which he said had crippled effective representation for their constituents.

This move swells the tally of cross-carpeting lawmakers in the 10th Assembly to 68 since July 2024, with 67 bolstering the Majority Caucus and one shifting to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The APC, under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, now commands an even firmer grip, holding approximately 70% of seats alongside allies.

Roots in Rivers Political Firestorm

The defections underscore escalating tensions in Rivers State, fueled by the protracted rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara (PDP) and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, his predecessor and APC heavyweight. All four lawmakers hail from Rivers, where political loyalties have fractured along these lines. Recent reports indicate at least 10 Rivers federal lawmakers have now aligned with the APC caucus, amplifying Wike’s influence despite Fubara’s control of the state executive.

ADVERTISEMENT

Emerengwa, in his speech, highlighted PDP’s “leadership vacuum” post-2023 elections, while Abiante pointed to LP’s national disarray following its 2023 presidential surge. Goodhead, a vocal critic of oil theft in the Niger Delta, framed her switch as a bid for “stability to deliver dividends of democracy.”

Opposition’s Mounting Losses

The opposition has hemorrhaged seats across the board:

• PDP: 45 seats lost
• Labour Party (LP): 14 seats
• New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP): 5 seats
• Young Progressives Party (YPP): 2 seats
• African Democratic Congress (ADC): 1 seat
• APGA: 1 seat gained (net loss for opposition)

Notably, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and APC remain untouched by defections. Analysts warn this trend could further erode checks and balances in the Green Chamber, especially ahead of 2027 polls.

House Leader Julius Ihonvbere (APC) welcomed the newcomers, promising seamless integration. Opposition leaders, however, decried the shifts as “opportunistic,” with PDP’s Minority Whip Ali Isa warning of legal challenges under anti-defection clauses in the 1999 Constitution.

This realignment caps a tumultuous week, following similar exits from Oyo and Enugu constituencies. As plenary recessed, questions linger: Will more follow, or has the defection dominoes slowed?