Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who represents Imo East Senatorial District, has officially defected from the Labour Party (LP) and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The news of Senator Onyewuchi’s defection was revealed in a letter he personally addressed to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. During a plenary session, Senator Akpabio read the letter aloud, making the announcement public.
His defection brings the number of LP senators in the Upper Chamber down to five, as Onyewuchi aligns himself with the APC.
Notably, the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who is also the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), along with some members of his cabinet, were present in the Senate Chamber when the letter was read.
In his letter, Senator Onyewuchi invoked Section 68(1g) of the Constitution to justify his decision, citing the unresolved internal conflicts within the Labour Party as his primary motivation for defecting. He expressed his belief that the party’s division and crisis were irreparable.
The excerpt from his letter reads: “This decision is due to the intractable division and crisis in the Labour Party that sponsored my earlier election into the Nigerian Senate. The communication is therefore made pursuant to Section 68(1g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. Imo State and the entirety of the South-East remain united under the leadership of our performing Governor, Hope Uzodimma.”
In response to the announcement, Senator Akpabio directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to allocate a new seat on the aisle of the majority lawmakers to Senator Onyewuchi, symbolizing his new affiliation with the APC.
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