The Labour Party in Enugu State continued to suffer a wave of defections as two of its federal lawmakers, Mr Dennis Agbo and Mr Mark-Chidi Obetta, representing Igboeze/Udenu and Igboeze South/Nsukka federal constituencies respectively, officially joined the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday. They were accompanied by the member representing Nsukka West in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Malachi-Okey Onyechi.
Their defection follows similar moves earlier in the week by LP chieftains Prince Emeka Mamah and Titus Odo. The wave of exits began with the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, who returned to the PDP barely two weeks ago.
The defectors had initially left the PDP for the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 general elections. Speaking during the defection ceremony at the PDP Secretariat in Enugu, Onyechi said he was happy to reunite with his former party and pledged full cooperation in its advancement. He praised Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership, specifically his N2 billion development initiative spread across Enugu’s 260 political wards.
Obetta said his decision was informed by the remarkable improvements in Enugu’s transport, education, health, and hospitality sectors under Mbah’s administration. Agbo, thanking his constituents for their understanding, declared that the Labour Party would no longer hold relevance in the state, predicting a collapse of the opposition in Enugu.
The PDP Chairman in Enugu State, Dr Martin Chukwunwike, welcomed the returnees and expressed confidence that their defection would strengthen the party. He declared that the internal crisis that had plagued the PDP during the 2023 elections was now resolved and expressed optimism for a smooth political ride into the 2027 elections.
