A significant political shift has occurred in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, as 24 out of 26 members of the state House of Assembly have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection was announced by the Speaker of the Assembly, Udeme Otong, during a plenary session on Tuesday.
The lawmakers cited unresolved internal conflicts within the PDP's National Working Committee as the reason for their decision to join the APC. The defection follows a similar move by Governor Umo Eno and other key stakeholders in the state, who defected to the APC last week.
As a result of the mass defection, the House Leader, Sunday Johnny, who is now a minority PDP member, has stepped down from his leadership position. Chief Whip Effiong Johnson has been named Acting Leader of the House pending the selection of a new leader.
The defection is part of a larger political realignment in Akwa Ibom State, with Governor Eno stating that the move was a strategic decision to align the state with the federal government under President Bola Tinubu.
