Six Akwa Ibom Reps dump PDP for APC, cite leadership crisis

Six members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Akwa Ibom State in the House of Representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing a deepening and unresolved leadership crisis within the party.

The defectors include Unyime Idem (Ukanafun/Oruk Anam federal constituency), Esin Etim (Mbo/Okobo/Oron/Udung Uko/Urue Offong federal constituency), Ekpo Asuquo (Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium federal constituency), Uduak Odudoh (Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern Obolo federal constituency), Okpolupm Etteh (Eket/Esit Eket/Ibeno/Onna federal constituency), and Okon Bassey (Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency).

Their defection letter was read by Abbas Tajudeen, during plenary on Thursday.

Read also: David Mark resigns from PDP, joins coalition

In a related development, Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, who represents the Ikono/Ini federal constituency under the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), also announced his defection to the APC.

This is coming barely 24 hours after Umar Damagum, the acting national chairman of the PDP appealed to the Atiku Abubakar-led faction of the party –who had left to form a coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC)–  to return, saying the party has resolved it differences.