The Labour Party (LP) in Enugu suffered a major political blow on Saturday, May 17, as Hon. Sunday Umeha, a sitting member of the House of Representatives, officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), taking over 1,000 supporters with him.
Umeha, who represents the Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency, made a surprise appearance at a mini-rally in Ibagwa-Aka, Igboeze South Local Government Area, where the mass defection unfolded.
The rally was led by Chief Joshua Ogbonna, a wealthy businessman and prominent Labour Party financier in the area, popularly known as “Father Father.”
Ogbonna announced the collapse of Labour Party’s structure in the local government, declaring that he and over 1,000 members, including the entire local government party leadership, had crossed over to the APC.
Umeha explained his presence at the event, which was outside his federal constituency, saying it was in solidarity with Ogbonna.
He disclosed that another official rally would soon be held in his home constituency in Ezeagu to formally usher him into the APC.
“I have resigned from the Labour Party and registered with the APC in my ward,” Umeha said. “This decision was driven by deep divisions in the Labour Party at both the national and state levels.
“I believe joining the APC, which is at the centre, will bring our people closer to power and opportunities.”
He argued that APC’s performance in Igbo land has surpassed that of the PDP, citing projects like the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways, as well as the Second Niger Bridge.
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Welcoming the defectors, Enugu APC Chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, hailed the mass exodus as unprecedented since the 2023 elections. He declared that the APC was poised to end the PDP’s 26-year grip on Enugu come 2027.
“This is a total collapse of LP in Igboeze South,” Agballah said. “They’ve handed over the entire structure to the APC.
“I hereby present to you our party’s symbol, the broom. With this, we will sweep out bad governance and restore true democracy to Enugu State.”
He accused the PDP of inflicting hardship on the people through high taxation, land grabbing, and demolition of livelihoods to build motor parks, which he said should be the responsibility of local councils.
Peter Okonkwo, an APC chieftain from Nsukka, was also commended for donating the Enugu North senatorial zonal office to the party and helping facilitate the defection.
Chief Ogbonna, speaking on behalf of other defectors, recounted attempts to frustrate their movement, including the seizure of buses meant to transport supporters.
“We ended up hiring commercial motorcycles. That’s how determined we were,” he said. “Over 1,000 of us defected today. From now on, it’s ward-to-ward mobilisation. Igboeze South won’t be left behind.”
George Ogara, representing the APC’s state leader and Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, described the event as a political turning point.
“This level of mass defection hasn’t happened anywhere in the state,” he said. “We must stay united because, in the end, we all benefit from the victory we build today.”