The Deputy Minority Leader of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, George Ibezimako Ozodinobi (LP, Anambra), has openly criticized members of his party for defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His remarks came during a plenary session following the announcement of the defections.
Four lawmakers from the Labour Party (LP), including Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo), officially left the party on Thursday.
The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, read their letter of defection, in which the lawmakers cited internal conflicts within the LP as their reason for joining the APC.
Reacting to the move, Ozodinobi expressed deep disappointment, using a biblical reference to caution the defectors.
He remarked, “I will quote the Bible. When Jesus was carrying the cross to the Calvary, the woman, Veronica, was weeping. And he looked back and said, women of Israel, don’t weep for me, weep for yourself. I am telling those who have defected that they will continue weeping for themselves because where you have crossed over to, you don’t have a future.”
The Labour Party also issued a strong response, condemning the defections. The party’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, described the move as “irrational, untenable, inconsistent, and alien to all known norms for which democracy stands.”
He further announced that the LP’s legal team would take action to reclaim the defectors’ mandates in accordance with the 1999 Constitution and the amended 2022 Electoral Act.
