The Abia State lawmaker representing Obingwa-West State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Uchenna Erondu Jnr, on Tuesday evening defected from the (PDP) to the (APC), pledging support for President ’s re-election come 2027.

Erondu, who chairs the House Committee on Public Service Matters, formally joined the APC on Tuesday evening at Nenu in Obingwa Local Government Area, where he was received by party leaders, including former Deputy Governor, Chris Akomas,   alongside thousands of supporters.

Explaining his decision, the Hon. Member said joining the APC would enable him to attract more development projects to Obingwa, Abia South, and the state as a whole. He pledged to continue effective representation and called on residents across Obingwa, Abia State, the South-East, and Nigeria to support the party to re-elect the president

“If I could accomplish what I did while in the PDP, I assure our people that with the APC platform, we will do even more. I urge sustained collaboration to consolidate the gains made so far by President Tinubu,” he said.

The lawmaker described Tinubu’s reforms as bold and declared that the President’s re-election in 2027 “is not negotiable.”

Sources indicated that the defection followed sustained lobbying by key APC figures, including Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, former Imo governorship candidate, and federal lawmaker .

In his remarks, Akomas described Erondu as “a priceless political asset and an early foundation member of the APC in Abia,” noting that he previously served as the party’s first Administrative Secretary in the state. He expressed confidence that the lawmaker’s return would strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Erondu defected alongside former Obingwa LGA Chairman , Chikezirim Monday Orji, and more than 5,000 supporters.

Other party figures present at the event included Sam Nkire, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, former Abia Speaker, Christopher Enweremadu,  Aaron Uzodike, Emmanuel Ndubuisi, Ebere Nwachukwu, and Precious Achumba, among others.

The development is seen as a setback for the PDP in Abia State. However, as of the time of filing this report, the State PDP Chairman, had not issued an official response.

The (PDP) has condemned the recent decision by the to adopt both manual and electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as a betrayal of public trust.

The House had previously supported electronic transmission of election results as the preferred method, in contrast to the, which backed a combination of manual and electronic processes. However, lawmakers on Tuesday reversed their earlier stance, accommodating both methods.

Reacting to the development, the PDP, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, criticized the decision, saying it undermines the confidence of Nigeriansin the electoral process.

“This is a clear betrayal of public trust. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives abandoned the pro-people position it had taken and adopted the anti-people version of the Senate,” Ememobong said.

He emphasized that lawmakers, as representatives of the people, must always act in the public interest rather than pursue decisions that could weaken transparency.

“The legislators are delegates of power and should at all times act in the interest of the delegator of power. They are not in parliament to legislate for themselves but to legislate for the people,” he added.

The PDP further warned that the provision allowing both methods could deepen electoral opacity, urging stakeholders and advocates of democracy to oppose the measure.

The ruling Labour Party (LP) has further strengthened its dominance in the Abia State House of Assembly following the defection of Hon. Godwin Adiele, the lawmaker representing Ukwa West constituency.

Hon. Adiele, previously a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), formally announced his resignation from the PDP and defection to the LP during plenary session on Wednesday. He cited the impressive performance and good governance record of Governor Alex Otti as the primary reason for his decision.

In his statement on the floor of the House, the former PDP stalwart emphasized the need to align with Governor Otti’s ongoing efforts to promote effective and people-oriented administration across the state.

This latest defection marks a significant shift in the political composition of the 24-member Assembly. The Labour Party now commands a strong majority with 19 members, while the PDP’s representation has dwindled to just 4 members. The All Progressives Congress (APC) holds the remaining seat(s).

The PDP had initially enjoyed majority control at the start of the current legislative term following the 2023 elections, but a series of defections, driven largely by support for Governor Otti’s administration, have steadily eroded its influence in the House.