Enugu East Senator Kelvin Chukwu Defects to APC Amid Labour Party Crisis

Senator Kelvin Chukwu, who represents Enugu East Senatorial District, has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing internal crisis and factional disputes within the Labour Party (LP) as the driving factors for his defection.

Chukwu, elected on the LP platform, announced his decision at a town-hall meeting held at Amuri Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area on Thursday.

He explained that the prolonged crisis within the LP, which has led to significant factionalisation, was adversely affecting party members. “The protracted crisis rocking the LP, which has led to its fractionalisation, is a development that is seriously affecting its members,” he stated.

Chukwu’s defection leaves Senator Okey Ezea as the only remaining LP senator in Enugu State, representing Enugu North Senatorial District.

This move follows a series of defections by other LP lawmakers from Enugu State to APC, including Paul Nnamchi of Enugu-East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Chimaobi Atu of Enugu North/South, Sunday Umehia of Udi/Ezeagu, Dennis Agbo of Igbo-Eze North/Udenu, and Mark Obetta of Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency.

The Labour Party had performed strongly in the 2023 general elections in Enugu, winning seven out of eight House of Representatives seats, two of the three senatorial seats, and a majority in the State Assembly. However, ongoing defections have since eroded its influence in the state legislature.