The member representing Jos South and East Federal Constituency, Alfred Illiya Ajang, has officially defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announced Ajang’s defection during Thursday’s plenary session of the House of Representatives, reading a letter submitted by the lawmaker.
In the letter, Ajang attributed his defection to internal crises within the Labour Party. However, his move sparked a rowdy session in the House, as some lawmakers raised objections to the validity of the letter.
Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda argued that the defection did not align with the constitutional provisions and standing orders of the House. He noted that lawmakers intending to defect must first notify their constituents and the party under which they were elected. Chinda insisted this process had not been followed and called for the rejection of the letter. Despite these objections, the Speaker overruled and accepted Ajang’s defection.
Ajang’s switch to the ruling APC is the latest in a series of defections from the Labour Party. Just days earlier, Dalyop Chollom, representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency, also left the LP for the APC, citing similar concerns over party crises.
In recent weeks, four other Labour Party lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the APC, with internal disagreements in the LP commonly cited as the reason.
The Labour Party has since threatened legal action against the defectors, labeling their actions unconstitutional.
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Opeoluwa Benson – Content Researcher
