24 Akwa Ibom Lawmakers Dump PDP for APC, Two Remain Loyal to Party

A major political shake-up has struck the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as 24 out of 26 lawmakers formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), leaving only two members still aligned with the PDP.

The two remaining PDP lawmakers — Sunday Johnny (representing Onna) and Uduakobong Ekpo-Ufot (Etinan) — are reportedly allies of former Governor Udom Emmanuel. Emmanuel has remained silent since the current Governor, Umo Eno, also defected to the APC.

During Tuesday’s plenary session, Speaker Udeme Otong confirmed the defections, stating that the lawmakers acted under the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution. This section allows elected officials to switch parties when there is evidence of division within their political party.

Otong read out the defection letters submitted by the lawmakers, who claimed their move was not driven by personal gain but by the deepening internal crisis within the PDP at the national level. According to them, the discord had disrupted the party’s unity, undermined legislative effectiveness, and damaged policy consistency.

“The House remains a beacon of democracy,” Otong said. “Regardless of party lines, our duty is to uphold the institution’s integrity and focus on effective governance.”

A motion to accept the speaker’s remarks and the lawmakers’ formal defection was initiated by Lawrence Udoide (Ini) and seconded by Bassey Bassey (Okobo), effectively sealing the shift in legislative alignment within the House.