The defection, SaharaReporters learnt, was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the Wednesday's plenary.

Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South Senatorial District, has officially defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). 

The defection, SaharaReporters learnt, was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the Wednesday's plenary.

Imasuen, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, had previously announced his intention to join the APC, citing internal wrangling within the LP as the reason for his departure. 

He described the move as "strategic" and in the best interest of the people of Edo South.

Imasuen's decision to leave the LP stems from the party's internal disarray, which he believes has left it without direction. 

He expressed admiration for President Bola Tinubu's policies, particularly the Renewed Hope Agenda, and sees his move to the APC as an opportunity to support the administration's development goals.

SaharaReporters had earlier in the month reported that Imasuen, who once orchestrated a massive bank fraud scheme in the United States before escaping to Nigeria, revealed his intention to join the ruling APC.

Imasuen made the announcement in Benin City on Sunday while marking his second year in the National Assembly.

“I will be leaving the Labour Party to the APC as the current disarray in the LP will not help me achieve my aim for my people,” Imasuen had declared.

According to U.S. court filings reviewed by The Gazette, Imasuen played a central role in a criminal case involving a sophisticated fraud operation that siphoned over $25 million from numerous American banks.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified him as the lawyer “who arranged the transactions underlying the substantive bank fraud charges in the indictment,” in a related case involving his accomplice, Imran Ismile Badoolah.