Fom Daniel Chollom A member of the House of Representatives elected on the Labour Party ticket, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chollom made his announcement on Tuesday, explaining that the leadership crisis within the Labour Party and his desire to contribute to the country’s national development by supporting President Bola Tinubu were key factors in his decision.
In a letter read aloud by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during plenary, Chollom expressed that the internal divisions within the Labour Party had made it difficult for him to align with any faction, prompting his shift to the APC.
He further emphasized that he believed his decision would allow him to better serve the interests of his constituents.
The defection was met with criticism from Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi, who accused lawmakers leaving the Labour Party of lacking ideological commitment.
He called for Chollom’s seat to be declared vacant, arguing that the lawmaker’s departure was detrimental to the House and its work.
Ozodinobi also expressed concern about the growing trend of defections from Labour to APC, describing it as troubling.
Minority Leader Kingsley China also raised procedural concerns, arguing that Chollom had not followed the necessary steps before formally presenting his defection letter to the House.
According to China, Chollom should have first resigned from his ward within the Labour Party and presented evidence of this resignation before submitting his letter.
Despite the criticism, Chollom defended his decision, stating that his reflection on the Labour Party’s leadership crisis led him to conclude that he could better serve his people by joining the APC and collaborating with President Tinubu to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to Nigerians.
