The defection was marked by a mini-rally held in Ibagwa-Aka, Igboeze South Local Government Area, where Umeha officially announced his decision to join the APC. A prominent businessman and financier of the LP in the area, Chief Joshua Ogbonna, led the mass defection, citing internal crises within the LP as a reason for the move.
Umeha, who becomes the firstelected APC representative in Enugu State since 2014, stated that aligning with the ruling party would enable his constituents to better connect with the federal government and benefit from national development initiatives.
The APC has welcomed the defectors, with the party’s state chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, declaring that the party is now poised to take over the state’s government house in 2027. Agballah commended party stalwart Mr. Peter Okonkwo for facilitating the collapse of the LP structure in Igboeze South.
In a similar development, former Rep member Daniel Asuquo has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in Cross River State. Asuquo praised Governor Bassey Otu’s people-focused administration and expressed confidence in delivering 500,000 votes to the governor and President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
