Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State announced their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, marking a significant shift in the state's political landscape. Six of the defecting lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while one was from the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

The PDP defectors include Unyime Idem, representing the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam federal constituency; Esin Etim, from Mbo/Okobo/Oron/Udung Uko/Urue Offong/Oruko federal constituency; and Ekpo Asuquo, representing Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium federal constituency. Also joining the APC were Uduak Odudoh, the lawmaker for Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern Obolo federal constituency; Okpolupm Etteh, representing Eket/Esit Eket/Ibeno/Onna federal constituency; and Okon Bassey, from Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency. Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, who represents Ikono/Ini federal constituency, was the lawmaker defecting from the YPP to the APC.

The defection notices were officially announced on the floor of the green chamber by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during Thursday’s plenary, following the reading of their individual letters of defection. The lawmakers attributed their decision to the leadership crisis within their former parties and a strategic need to align with the party at the center, citing internal divisions as a primary factor.

This mass defection occurred barely 24 hours after a new opposition coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was unveiled by prominent figures like former Senate President David Mark, ex-governors Rauf Aregbesola and Rotimi Amaechi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, with the stated aim of challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. During the ADC's launch in Abuja, its leaders accused the Tinubu-led government of undermining democratic institutions, escalating insecurity, and exacerbating economic hardship across the nation, with Mark serving as the interim chairman and calling for a national rescue mission.

The defections also follow a similar move by Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, who switched from the PDP to the APC in June. In response to the defections, Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader in the House, protested the move, arguing that abandoning the party that sponsored a lawmaker’s election fundamentally undermines democratic principles. Chinda further asserted that the Supreme Court has provided clear legal guidelines on what constitutes a legitimate division within a party, and, in his view, no such crisis currently exists within the PDP that would warrant such mass defections.

With these defections, Mark Esset, who represents the Uyo/Uruan/Nsit Atai/Asutan/Ibesikpo federal constituency, now remains the sole Peoples Democratic Party member from Akwa Ibom State in the House of Representatives.