Six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The lawmakers are Robinson Dekor, Solomon Bob, Cyril Hart, Victor Obuzor, Blessing Amadi, and Felix Nwaeke, all of whom were elected on the PDP platform.
Announcing their defection on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said the legislators cited internal divisions and an unresolved political crisis within the PDP as reasons for their decision.
In their separate letters, the lawmakers noted that the lingering crisis in the opposition party had made it difficult for them to effectively pursue their political goals.
They also pledged their support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Following the latest defections, the PDP’s representation in the Rivers State caucus of the House has dropped from 12 to just two members.
The development comes barely a week after three other Rivers lawmakers; Boniface Emerengwa, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and Boma Goodhead also defected to the APC.
The remaining PDP lawmakers from Rivers State are the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and Kelechi Nwogu.
Similarly, two senators from Rivers State, Allwell Onyesoh and Barinada Mpigi, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The senators announced their defections separately during plenary sessions of the Senate, citing deep-seated divisions within the PDP and the necessity of aligning with the Federal Government to better serve their constituents.
Their defection took place in the presence of senior APC leaders from both the national and state levels, underscoring the political significance of the move.
Speaking during plenary, Onyesoh, who represents the Rivers East Senatorial District, said his decision followed extensive consultations with political leaders and stakeholders across his constituency. He explained that his loyalty was first and foremost to the people who elected him rather than to any political party.
He noted that while political parties serve as vehicles for political participation, recent developments had highlighted the importance of working with the centre to attract development and strengthen governance structures in Rivers East.
Onyesoh assured his constituents that his development agenda, particularly in the area of human capital development, would remain unchanged despite his switch in party affiliation.
Similarly, Mpigi, the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, anchored his defection on constitutional grounds, arguing that the PDP had become mired in unresolved leadership and factional disputes.
Citing Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, Mpigi said the persistent divisions within the PDP at the national, state, local government and ward levels had eroded party cohesion in Rivers State, making his continued membership untenable.
While expressing gratitude to the PDP for providing him the platform to enter the Senate, Mpigi said the party had failed to create a stable and functional environment for its elected officials.
Senior APC officials, including members of the party’s national leadership and the Rivers State chapter, formally received the defectors, describing the development as a major boost for the party in the South-South region ahead of the 2027 general elections.
