Chris Nkwonta, Abia Rep Defects from PDP to APC, Appointed Chairman of South East Development Commission in House of Representatives
In a major political development, Chris Nkwonta, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency of Abia State, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The defection was announced on Wednesday by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during a plenary session of the House.
The announcement of Nkwonta's defection was met with enthusiastic cheers from APC lawmakers in the green chamber, signaling his new alignment with the ruling party. Nkwonta’s move from the PDP to the APC is seen as a significant boost for the APC, particularly in Abia State, where the PDP has historically held considerable influence.
However, not all members of the House welcomed the defection. Aliyu Madaki, the Deputy Minority Leader, raised objections, citing section 68 of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulates that a lawmaker can only defect from the party that sponsored their election if there is a division or crisis within that party. Madaki argued that there was no such crisis in the PDP that would legally justify Nkwonta's defection.
Speaker Abbas overruled Madaki's protest, asserting that there is, in fact, a faction within the PDP, which satisfies the constitutional requirement for defection. "The information available to me shows there is a faction," Abbas stated, effectively dismissing the argument against Nkwonta’s switch to the APC.
Following the defection, Speaker Abbas announced Nkwonta’s appointment as the Chairman of the House Committee on the South East Development Commission, further solidifying his new position within the APC and the House of Representatives.
Nkwonta’s defection marks another political shift in the ongoing realignment of power within Nigeria’s political landscape, as members of the PDP continue to cross over to the APC in various states across the country.
The PDP has yet to officially respond to Nkwonta's defection and the claims of factionalism within the party.
