Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers cited unresolved internal crises in their former parties as the reason for their defection.
The defecting lawmakers include Unyime Idem, Martins Esin, Paul Ekpo, Uduak Odudoh, Okpolu Etteha, and Bassey Okon from the PDP, and Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo from the YPP.
Their decision follows a similar move by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, who defected from the PDP to the APC in June 2025.
Governor Eno had announced his decision to join the APC, stating that he wanted to support President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The governor had also asked his commissioners and appointees to either follow him to the APC or resign their positions.
This mass defection may strengthen the APC’s foothold in Akwa Ibom State, potentially altering the balance of power within the state and the National Assembly.
