ABUJA – Another member of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives, Hon. Sunday Umehia, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing ongoing leadership disputes within his former party as the reason for his exit.
Umehia, who represents Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency of Enugu State, announced his defection on Thursday in a letter read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during plenary. He pointed to the Labour Party’s internal crisis, which he said has led to three separate factions claiming control of the party—led respectively by Senator Nenadi Usman, Barrister Julius Abure, and Alhaji Lamidi Apapa.
“The situation has left members in confusion about whom to defer to,” Umehia stated in the letter. “I have therefore resolved to join the APC to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country and the South East region.”
Umehia pledged to work with President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership to advance national development and provide focused leadership in the region.
However, his defection sparked criticism from Minority Leader Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who expressed concern over the frequent movement of lawmakers between parties. Chinda said the wave of defections is undermining the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy and called for constitutional reform.
“The time has come to revisit the constitutional provision on defection,” Chinda declared. “It’s clear that what we’re seeing is confusing and detrimental to democratic stability.”
Chinda argued that the Supreme Court had already ruled on the Labour Party leadership crisis, thus invalidating Umehia’s justification for leaving the party. He urged the Speaker to exercise his constitutional authority by declaring the seats of defecting lawmakers vacant.
In addition, Chinda cited the House Standing Orders, which state that leadership roles in committees are allocated based on party affiliation. He demanded that defectors relinquish such positions and that their former parties be allowed to nominate replacements.
The development adds to growing tensions over party loyalty and the role of the judiciary in resolving internal political disputes, as the National Assembly continues to grapple with maintaining democratic norms amid shifting alliances.
