Opposition lawmaker in Akwa Ibom defects to PDP

A member of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly who was elected on the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has defected to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Moses Essien, member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, was formally received into the PDP by Governor Umo Eno on Tuesday in Uyo.

Mr Esssien was one of the two opposition lawmakers elected on the YPP platform last year into the 26-member assembly.

The second member, Asuquo Nana, who is doing a second term was first elected into the assembly in 2019 but later defected to the YPP where he was re-elected for a second term.

YPP in Akwa Ibom

The YPP became popular in the state a few months to the 2023 governorship election following the defection of a former senator, Bassey Albert, in the state to the party.

Mr Albert was originally a member of the PDP, a platform in which he was elected twice as senator representing Akwa Ibom North-east.

Mr Albert, a grassroots politician with a great following, defected to the YPP and secured the party ticket to contest the governorship election after he was frustrated within the PDP.

The former senator came second in the election, losing to Governor Eno of the PDP but had sprang a surprise as he defeated the candidate of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Akanimo Udofia despite that the YPP was relatively new in the state.

Besides winning two seats in the state assembly, YPP also won one of the 10 federal constituency seats in the state.

The defected lawmaker, Mr Essien, who hails from the same local government area with the former senator – Ibiono Ibom, benefited from the goodwill of Mr Albert to emerge the winner at the poll.

Defections

Mr Albert after losing the election and also lost the legal battle to overturn the victory of Governor Eno at the poll defected to the APC in January.

The former senator had collapsed the entire YPP structure in the state to the APC and was received into the APC by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Three months later, his lawmaker, Mr Essien, which Mr Albert had said would join the APC, defected to the PDP.

Besides the lawmaker, other supporters of Mr Albert who were in YPP had earlier defected to the PDP, saying they could not join the former senator in the APC.

Speaking while receiving Mr Essien, Governor Eno said he was committed to leading an administration that is committed to expanding opportunities available to Akwa Ibom people.

“As one privileged to lead the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, I commit to standing with our elders and stakeholders and of course members to build a strong party that will continue to serve as the most preferred platform for the emergence of leaders.”

The governor’s remark is contained in a statement posted on Facebook by Borono Bassey, the spokesperson of PDP in the state.

Following the defection of Mr Essien to the PDP, Mr Nana is now the only opposition member of the state assembly.