Hon. Philip Agbese, Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives and member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party (LP). He announced the move during plenary on Tuesday, with Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas reading his defection letter on the floor. Agbese cited ongoing internal crises within the APC as the reason for his exit, though he maintained support for President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. He emphasized that his constituency remains aligned with the administration's vision.
Speaker Abbas expressed surprise, noting that Agbese is the first member of the 10th National Assembly to leave the ruling party for another. "Honourable colleagues, we have the first member of the 10th House of Representatives leaving the majority party to join the Labour Party. Members of the Labour Party should please appreciate him," Abbas said. Agbese told journalists his decision followed consultations with constituents who favoured the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 elections. He dismissed speculation of a governorship ambition in Benue State, stating the party would field another candidate when the time comes.
Over 10,000 people in his constituency have registered with the Labour Party in recent days, Agbese revealed. He pledged loyalty to LP National Chairman Senator Nenadi Usman and Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti. Despite his APC roots and close ties to Senate Leader George Akume, whom he called a mentor, Agbese insisted the move was driven solely by his people's political preference, not personal or external pressure.
A sitting deputy spokesperson of the House switching from the APC to the Labour Party while keeping faith with Tinubu's agenda exposes a growing rift between party loyalty and political survival. Philip Agbese's defection, backed by 10,000 new LP members in his constituency, signals that voter alignment is shifting at the grassroots, not just in rhetoric. This isn't about disloyalty to Tinubu—it's a recalibration of political positioning ahead of 2027, and it suggests the APC's dominance in Benue may be more fragile than assumed. If local sentiment is steering high-profile moves like this, other lawmakers may calculate similarly when the next election cycle heats up.
