BY EZE CHIMERE, UMUAHIA
Opposition Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, has lost another lawmaker to the ruling Labour Party ,LP, in Abia State with the defection of the member representing Isuikwuato State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Lucky Nweke Johnson, to LP.
Hon. Johnson announced his resignation from his party, the PDP and his joining LP, through a letter he addressed to the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa. The Speaker read the letter during plenary on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
In the letter dated on March 18, 2025, Johnson cited the deep crises in PDP, both at the national and state levels, as the reason for quitting the party.
He said he chose to join LP because of the “sterling performance” of the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti. The lawmaker therefore requested that he should henceforth be addressed as a member of Labour Party.
He further explained that before deciding to dump PDP, he consulted with his constituents.
Hon. Johnson is the second PDP state lawmaker that would dump the party to join the LP. Recall that last February, the member representing Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, Rowland Dennis, resigned from PDP and joined the LP.
PDP immediately condemned the defection of Rowland and called for his seat to be declared vacant but is yet to react to the latest defection as at the time of filing this story.
Nweke’s defection, brings to three, the number of opposition lawmakers who have swelled the rank of lawmakers elected on the platform of Labour Party which is now the verge of having the majority of lawmakers in the Assembly. The first lawmaker to defect was elected on the platform of the Young Progressives Party ,YPP.
Meanwhile, the Isuikwuato LGA PDP Chairman, Okechukwu Okorie, has resigned his position as Chief of Staff to Hon. Nweke, in reaction to the lawmaker’s defection. Okorie resigned on March 25, 2025, citing political differences.
“I have come to the conclusion that the political direction you have taken does not align with my personal values and principles as a committed member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP”, he argued, saying that “stepping down” as Johnson’s Chief of Staff was “the most appropriate course of action.
