The Labour Party (LP) has suffered yet another high-profile defection as Hon. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha, who represents the Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency of Enugu State, formally crossed over to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move was disclosed during a plenary session in the House of Representatives, where Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read Umeha’s letter signalling his departure from the LP.
Umeha, a barrister by profession and Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, attributed his defection to protracted internal crises within the LP. According to his letter, the party remains embroiled in leadership disputes among Senator Nenadi Usman, Barrister Julius Abure, and Alhaji Lamidi Apapa—disagreements which he said have fractured the party’s unity and weakened its political direction.
The 42-year-old lawmaker, who launched his political career in 2012 as a councillor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was elected to the House in 2023 on the LP platform. He has now pledged allegiance to the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating his intention to contribute more effectively to national development and the progress of the South East.
Umeha’s defection has sparked controversy within the House. Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda sharply criticised the trend of lawmakers switching parties, warning that it poses a threat to Nigeria’s democratic stability. He called for a constitutional review to curb political defections and urged the Speaker to consider declaring such seats vacant in line with constitutional provisions.
Chinda further contended that the LP’s internal leadership issues had been settled by the Supreme Court, and thus could not credibly justify a defection. He also demanded that defectors relinquish any committee roles secured under their former party.
This defection is the latest in a series of departures from the LP, which has lost several members to the ruling party since late 2024. Among those who have left are representatives from states including Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, and Plateau. The PDP has also witnessed similar exits, most notably that of Delta lawmaker Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu.
Reacting to the wave of defections, LP’s National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh announced the creation of a “Hall of Shame” to publicly list members who have abandoned the party. The LP has also vowed to petition the Speaker to enforce constitutional provisions and reclaim the vacated mandates.
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