|Adejumo Adekunle
The Labour Party has recorded a significant political breakthrough as Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, member representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, defected from All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the party.
Reacting to the development, Kaduna State Chairman of the Labour Party, Eld. Dr. Yusuf Solomon Danbaki, described the move as a decisive boost for the party’s rebuilding efforts under the national leadership of Esther Nenadi Usman.
In a statement he personally signed and made available to DAILY POST in Kaduna, Danbaki said Ikwechegh’s defection, coming days after his resignation from APGA, signals a turning point for the party following the prolonged leadership crisis that trailed the 2023 general elections.
He stressed that the lawmaker confirmed his decision after a strategic meeting with Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, affirming his alignment with the Labour Party’s people-focused agenda.
Danbaki noted that the development reverses months of political setbacks that weakened the party’s foothold in the National Assembly. He recalled that during the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party secured eight Senate seats and 35 seats in the House of Representatives, emerging as the third-largest party in the National Assembly behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He attributed that electoral surge largely to the influence of the “Obidient” movement and widespread voter dissatisfaction with the political status quo. However, he lamented that internal divisions under former National Chairman Julius Abure triggered defections, legal battles, and a sharp decline in legislative strength.
According to him, by mid-2025, the party had lost all eight senators through defections, court-ordered reruns, and deaths, while at least eight House members exited amid factional disputes and allegations of corruption, drastically shrinking its representation.
Danbaki said the tide shifted when the Supreme Court affirmed Nenadi Usman as National Chairman, restoring stability and credibility to the party’s leadership structure. He commended Usman’s reconciliation-driven strategy, anchored on inclusiveness and internal reforms, which he said has rebuilt confidence among party stakeholders.
He also pointed to Governor Otti’s governance model in Abia State as a practical demonstration of the Labour Party’s ideology. Danbaki highlighted Otti’s prompt salary payments, large-scale recruitment of teachers and health workers, free education initiatives for indigent children, urban renewal projects, and the enactment of a Senior Citizens Law providing stipends and healthcare support for the elderly.
He argued that these governance strides have strengthened the party’s appeal nationwide and helped attract new entrants, with Ikwechegh’s defection serving as a visible sign of renewed confidence.
Danbaki further extended an open invitation to former members who left the party during its crisis, urging them to return and contribute to rebuilding what he described as a people-oriented political platform.
He maintained that Ikwechegh’s move represents more than a routine political switch, insisting it underscores the Labour Party’s resilience and readiness for a national comeback under Usman’s leadership and inspired by Otti’s performance in Abia State.
