The Labour Party is taking legal action against four of its members who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). These members are Chinedu Okere, Mathew Donatus, Akiba Bassey, and Esosa Iyawe. The defection was announced by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Thursday. Abbas mentioned that the defections were due to an “internal crisis” within the Labour Party.

In response, the Labour Party’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, stated that no member has the right to leave the party with its mandate. Ifoh stressed that while the Labour Party is not shaken by the defection, they will not let it go unnoticed. The party has instructed its legal team to take action against the defectors and to begin the process of reclaiming the mandates under which the defectors were elected.

Ifoh also reassured the public that the Labour Party remains peaceful, and according to the Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act, no one elected under the party’s banner is allowed to defect while holding on to the party’s mandate. The Labour Party is now preparing to take legal steps to protect its interests and restore its mandates.