Wave of defections have continued to rock the Labour Party in Enugu State, following the return of Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, its 2023 governorship candidate, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), DAILY GAZETTE reports.
Several prominent figures, including the former Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in Enugu, Chief Emeka Mamah; a former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly who represented Udenu Constituency, Hon. Obinna Ijere; and the State Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Barr. Onuorah Odoh, have all officially dumped the party, citing loyalty to Edeoga.
DAILY GAZETTE gathered that Chief Mamah, whose grassroots mobilization was instrumental to the Labour Party’s rise during the 2023 general elections, announced his defection on Tuesday in his Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
He was joined by a large contingent of supporters.
Addressing party faithful at the state PDP Secretariat, Mamah declared, “my political journey has always been guided by principle, loyalty, and the pursuit of justice. I followed Edeoga to the Labour Party because I believed in his vision. Now that he has returned to the PDP, it is only natural that we reunite to continue the struggle from within a platform that gives us the best chance to serve our people.”
The former Commissioner added, “the Labour Party in Enugu has lost direction since Edeoga left. The structure is crumbling, the energy has dropped, and there’s no cohesive leadership. We cannot continue in a vacuum.”
This latest defection adds to the growing list of Labour Party leaders and supporters who have returned to the PDP in recent weeks, following Edeoga’s formal re-entry into the party where he previously served as Commissioner and a member of the House of Representatives.
Also speaking, Hon. Obinna Ijere, who was elected into the Enugu State House of Assembly under the Labour Party in 2023 before being removed by the court, said, “We gave our all to the Labour Party because we believed it was a people-driven platform. But the internal contradictions, lack of leadership structure, and Edeoga’s exit forced us to re-evaluate. The PDP remains the strongest vehicle for real governance in Enugu.”
However, officials of the Labour Party in Enugu have downplayed the development, insisting that the party remains focused and resilient.
