The House of Representatives resumed plenary on Thursday with yet another dramatic twist in Nigeria’s political landscape. Four Labour Party (LP) lawmakers decided it was time to abandon ship, defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Alleged divisions within their party, because, the Labour Party’s internal quarrels have become more entertaining than its politics.
The defectors include Esosa Iyawe from Edo State, Tochukwu Okere from Imo, Donatus Matthew from Kaduna, and Bassey Akiba from Cross River. To spice things up, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu of Delta State also joined the exodus, ditching the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.
For a party that enjoyed a meteoric rise during the 2023 elections, this sudden unraveling is a clear warning sign. Formed over 20 years ago, the LP was long dismissed as a fringe player, barely making an impact in elections—until 2023.
That year, the party stunned Nigeria’s political elite by securing six Senate seats and over 34 in the House of Representatives. For context, the Labour Party had achieved exactly zero National Assembly seats in 2019.
With Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2023, the Labour Party became the darling of tired Nigerians seeking an alternative to the APC and PDP. Though Obi came third in the presidential race, many believed the Labour Party had finally arrived as a formidable opposition.
Barely months after its unprecedented success, the Labour Party seems more invested in self-sabotage than building on its gains. Intra-party squabbles, power struggles, and accusations have become the order of the day. The defecting lawmakers wasted no time pointing fingers at these internal conflicts, using them as an excuse to run to the ruling APC.
The APC, for its part, must be grinning from ear to ear. The defections not only strengthen its already overwhelming majority in the National Assembly but also weaken any chance of a united opposition. A divided Labour Party and a crumbling PDP play right into the ruling party’s hands.
For voters who supported the Labour Party in 2023, this betrayal feels like a slap in the face. Many had high hopes that the LP would challenge the APC’s dominance and push for real change. Instead, the party seems to be imploding under the weight of its own success.
As for the APC, it continues to play the long game, consolidating its power while the opposition fights like children quarelling over a broken toy.
