JUST-IN: Labour Party Loses Another Top National Assembly Member to APC

Ajang Iliya, a member of the Labour Party (LP) caucus in the house of representatives, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

As reported by The Punch, Iliya’s defection was announced by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives during plenary on Thursday, December 12, after he read a letter from the lawmaker.

In the letter, Iliya, who represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Plateau state, cited the ongoing crisis in the LP as his reason for leaving.

He is the latest member of the party to leave for the APC.

Furthermore, Iliya stated that he “finds it difficult to align with LP’s position on current issues.”

Legit reports that after over 20 years of its formation, pro-workers political organisation, Labour Party made inroads into mainstream politics during the 2023 elections as the party secured six senate and over 34 house of representatives seats.

Compared to its phenomenal stride in the 2023 elections, the LP did not get a single seat in the 2019 national assembly elections.

With the party’s presidential candidate, Obi, impressively coming third during the 2023 general elections, many had thought that the LP would form a formidable opposition alongside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the ruling APC but intra-party squabbles after the general elections have plagued the party.

5 LP house of reps members join APC

reported that five LP house of representatives members – Esosa Iyawe (Edo), Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Matthew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau) – left the party.

The defecting federal lawmakers joined the APC.