Less than 24 hours after Hon Dennis Agbo, a member of the House of Representatives dumped the Labour Party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), two other lawmakers have followed suit.
The new entrants to PDP are Hon Mark Chidi Obetta, a first time Reps member, representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal constituency and Hon. Malachi Okey Onyechi, representing Nsukka West State Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly has also dumped LP.
The three LP lawmakers were received at the headquarters of the PDP in GRA, Enugu.
The defection of the three lawmakers followed the earlier defection of the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State in 2023, Barrister Chijioke Edeoga to the PDP.
Edeoga had praised the state governor Peter Mbah for his development strides and promised to contribute to the upliftment of the PDP in the state.
Earlier, the campaign coordinator of Mr Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate, in 2023 in Enugu State, Prince Emeka Mamah, defected to the PDP.
He justified his move on Governor Mbah’s leadership commitment and excellent performance in the state.
Also, the immediate past state publicity secretary of the party and LP chairmanship candidate for Igboeze North LGA, Barr Titus Odo, dumped LP for the PDP.
While receiving the two former LP members at the PDP State headquarters on Tuesday, the state PDP chairman, Dr Martin Chukwuweike, said other political parties were collapsing and already on the verge of sinking in the state.
Chukwuweike stated the governor’s exemplary leadership has repositioned the party to a vantage position where it was becoming increasingly stronger while the APC and the LP continued to plummet as a result of loss of public trust and confidence.
He stated that the party would keep receiving quality defectors to its fold amidst the opposition’s disgruntlement and confusion, revealing that more heavyweight opposition members already lined up to announce their defections to the PDP in the state.
While expressing joy over the way events were unfolding, he attributed the mass defections to Governor Mbah’s governing philosophy of transparency, accountability, optimal performance and economic transformation.
“I feel happy that it is working out the way our governor wanted it. He directed it and we are doing it and it is working fine. The secret to this is having a normal mind to talk to people. The governor is truthful about what he is saying and again, the job being done by the governor. They said that no one will see it and say he is still in the opposition.
“That is why they are all coming. We are expecting as many big wigs as still outside, but by next tomorrow, we are going to take in not less than four from the national assembly,” he concluded.
In a remark, Mamah, who was the Coordinator of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in Enugu State in the 2023 general elections, said Mbah had convinced him and thousands of his supporters to return to the PDP following the performances of the administration which were a clear departure from the disappointing past history in the state.
“The present governor – Peter Mbah – has shown that governance is not supposed to be what it used to be in the past. He has endeared my heart so much and that is why somebody like me, the person I brought here today, and so many other people will have to join the party,” he stressed.
