The Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in the Enugu East Local Government Area, Afam Joseph Ogbene, has resigned from the party, along with the entire ward executive committee members, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Key Details of the Defection
- Defectors: Afam Joseph Ogbene (LP Chairman, Enugu East LGA) and all LP ward executive members in Enugu East LGA.
- New Party: All Progressives Congress (APC).
- Inspiration/Reason: Ogbene explicitly stated that his decision was inspired by the “foresight and purposeful leadership of Governor Peter Mbah” and a desire to align with Mbah’s developmental vision for Enugu State.
- The Political Context: The defection follows the major shift of the state’s political structure, as Governor Peter Mbah (who was elected on the PDP platform) had officially defected to the APC earlier in the week.
- LP’s Internal Crisis: Ogbene also cited the efforts of building the Labour Party being rendered futile “by internal crises orchestrated by enemies within.”
- Reception: The move was described by the Commissioner for Rural Development, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, as a “total collapse of the Labour Party in Enugu East,” signifying a major political realignment in the state.
