Imo Labour Party Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi joins APC

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

The number of senators elected on the platform of Labour Party (LP) in the Senate was depleted by one on Tuesday with the defection of Ezenwa Onyewuchi to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

His defection, which was witnessed by Hope Uzodimma, the governor of of his home state of Imo and the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) reduced the number of LP lawmakers in the Senate to five.

Onyewuchi was the who is representing Imo East Senatorial District also declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in his letter of defection read on the floor of the upper chamber of the National Assembly by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Onyewuchi, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Owerri-Municipal/Owerri-North/West-Federal Constituency defected to Labour Party from the PDP in 2022 to contest for the senatorial seat.

He anchored his letter on Section 68(1g) of the constitution.

He letter as read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio reads, “This decision is due to the intractable division and crisis in the Labour Party that sponsored the earlier election into the Nigerian Senate,” his letter reads.

“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, his excellency, Hope Uzodimma.”

Consequently, the Senate President asked the sergeant-at-arms to provide a new seat for Onyewuchi on the aisle of the majority lawmakers.