Some members of Imo State House of Assembly, who lost out in the just concluded primary of the All Progressives Congress, are said to be eying the Labour Party.
The Labour party is soaring in popularity in the South East after former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, emerged the presidential candidate of the party.
One of the lawmakers, Uche Ogbuagu, who represents Mbaitoli State constituency, had posted on his verified facebook wall, a photograph of Peter Obi. He wrote in Igbo on his wall “Peter Obi nwere Ezigbo Uche”, which was translated by facebook to mean Peter Obi has good sense.
It was not clear if the lawmaker has dumped the APC and crossed over to the Labour party.
Ogbuagu was in the race for Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency seat, but withdrew on the day of the APC primary election, alleging that the delegates list was hijacked by a chieftain of the party, Charles Amadi, whose son, Akarachi, was also a contestant.
Aside Ogbuagu, this newspaper was informed that some members of the House who lost out in the APC primaries may have shifted allegiance to the Labour party.
An Assembly source said at the weekend that “by the time names of House of Assembly candidates of all the political parties are published, you would be shocked to see some members of the House, who lost APC tickets and have become candidates on the platform of Labour party.
About eight members of the House had lost return tickets to the House of Assembly on the platform of the APC, including those who wanted to go to the House of Representatives.
Among those who lost in the APC Primary include two former Speakers of the State Assembly, Chiji Collins and Paul Emeziem.
However, there are fears that the lawmakers may lose their seats in the House, if they eventually leave the APC for Labour party or any other party.
Hon Obinna Okwara, who represents Nkwerre State constituency, had his seat declared vacant by the Speaker, Hon Kennedy Ibe, when he defected from the APC to the PDP.
