The lawmaker representing Aba North and Aba South in the House of Representatives, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh has dismissed speculations that he had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on whose ticket he was elected in 2023.
In an interview with newsmen in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, after a meeting with Governor Alex Otti, Ikwechegh announced his defection to the Labour Party (LP).
He said that he visited the governor to inform him about his decision to join LP and ask for his blessings.
‘Well, I visited the governor this evening to receive his blessings.
‘As you may or may not know, I have received my Labour Party card as a new member of the party’, Ikwechegh said.
He explained that his decision to join the party was driven by his admiration for the governor’s leadership style and performance.
He described Otti as ‘an exceptional and result-oriented leader’.
The federal lawmaker said that his political ideology aligned with that of the governor, adding that his decision was influenced by the visible transformation in the state under Otti’s administration.
He further said that he was convinced that the LP remained the right platform for the progressive-minded and commended the party leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha.
According to him, politics should be about service to the people and not self-aggrandisement or intimidation.
He said that his move was guided by conscience and the desire to contribute to nation-building.
Reports had linked Ikwechegh with a move to APC following his recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
He explained that he only attended an iftar event hosted by the President, saying, ‘the visit should not be misconstrued as a defection’.
He said: ‘There has been speculations that after my meeting with the President, I joined APC. This is not true.
‘It so happened that we went to observe the iftar with the President to wine and dine with him and I appreciate him for that fatherly gesture.
‘I do not have anything against my brothers and sisters that have decided to join APC or the City Boys group.
‘What I would say is that politics is about interest and as I stand before you, there could be a figure nine before you and a figure six in front of you.
‘It all depends on how you look at things, the perspective from which you look at things.
‘The truth is that if you ask anyone in APC they will tell you that it is the best party as I believe that LP is the best but this is a democracy.
‘I noticed that there is an article that is going round the country that I am an APC member, so I want to tell Nigerians that I am not and that I am now a member of Labour Party’.
Ikwechegh said that Nigeria operates a multi-party democracy, where opposition plays a vital role in strengthening governance and ensuring accountability.
He further disclosed that he had resigned from APGA before joining LP.
He urged people of the state and other Nigerians to join LP, adding that a link for online registration would be made available.
Ikwechegh reiterated his commitment to supporting the governor’s administration, pointing out that ‘politics should focus on development and service to the people’.
The lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa North and South in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe said that the party was delighted to receive Ikwechegh as its newest member.
Onwusibe, who is also the Leader of the LP caucus in the National Assembly, confirmed that Ikwechegh resigned from APGA before joining LP.
He said that the LP caucus in Abuja had earlier admitted Ikwechegh into its fold before his formal presentation to the governor, who warmly received him.
‘As a caucus leader, I came with him to demonstrate clearly that he is now a member of the Labour Party’, he said.
Onwusibe described Ikwechegh’s defection as a significant gain for the party, expressing optimism that it would positively impact the 2027 general elections.
According to him, Ikwechegh was motivated by the governor’s performance and contributions of LP lawmakers from the state in the National Assembly (NASS).
‘So this is one of the best sign-offs that the Labour Party has made and it is going to manifest very soon in the election that is coming up in 2027
‘We are very happy that he is now in our family.
‘He saw the good work of the governor and that of Labour Party members from Abia in NASS, the likes of Amobi Ogah, and people like us and very soon he is going to do his own.
‘So, he feels that he is better off in this family than where he was’, Onwusibe said.
