A mass defections yesterday hit the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with House of Assembly Speaker Acho Ihim and 18 members dumping the ruling party for the Action Alliance (AA).
But the party’s headquarters in Abuja described the exit of the lawmakers as good riddance to bad rubbish, saying the party would not do the bidding of those engaging in anti-party activities.
With the defection, AA now controls the majority of the 27-member Assembly with 19 members, while the APC has three members and the PDP none.
Five APC members were earlier suspended and have not been recalled.
Addressing plenary, Ihim attributed their decision to join AA to the crisis that followed the APC primaries in the state.
He said: “After the injustice that was meted to our members by the national chairman of our party, the APC, some of our members went to another party to actualise their ambitions.
“They wrote me a letter through Ikechukwu Amuka, expressing their intentions and today I want to officially announce that 17 members of the House have officially defected to AA.
“It is interesting to note that PDP members also moved to AA, Speaker and I have no choice than to join the majority by dumping the APC for AA.”
The defectors are: Ikechukwu Amuka (Ideato South) Arthur Egwim (Ideato North), Obinna Egwu (Ngor-Okpalla) Chinedu Offor, (Onuimo), Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), Mike Iheanetu (Aboh Mbaise), Victor Onyewuchi (Owerri West), Ken Agbim (Ahiazu) and Bruno Okuoha (Wzinihitte).
They include: Lyod Chukwuemeka (Owerri West), Kennedy Ibe (Obowo), Henry Ezediaro (Oguta), Lugard Osuji (Owerri Municipal) and the Speaker, Acho Ihim (Okigwe).
The lawmakers, however, reiterated their commitment to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that he had delivered on his campaign promises and would proved to be an honest leader.
The House Majority Leader, Lugard Osuji, noted that the APC national chairman robbed the people of the state by hijacking the party structure and handed it over to ….”.
He said: “Our defection does not affect our support for President Buhari. We are going to work for his re-election. We only left the APC because of the injustice done to us by the National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole.”