Labor Party (LP) member Ajahn Iliya, who represents Jos South-Jos East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, on Thursday quit his membership in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection comes just a week after the LP lost five of its members in the House of Representatives to the APC.
During the plenary session, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas announced Ilya’s defection.
Prime Minister Abbas read the defection letter to the APC, citing “crisis in the leadership of the Labor Party” and other related issues as reasons for the development.
Ilya further stated in the letter that he “finds it difficult to align with LP’s position on current issues.”
In a related development, the LP also suffered a major setback when its gubernatorial candidate in the last Bayelsa state election, Udengus Eradiri, announced his resignation from the party along with his running mate, retired Brigadier General Benjamin Natus.
According to a report by The Nation, several local government chairmen of the Labor Party in Bayelsa followed suit and echoed the decision of Mr Eradiri and Mr Natus to leave the party.
In his official resignation letter dated December 8, 2024, addressed to the Yenagoa State Party Chairman, Mr. Eradiri stated that there is a need to continue his political career on a platform suitable for a leadership role like that of Mr. Bayelsa. He explained that his sexuality was the driving force behind his decision. need.
