Two Rivers Senators, Six Reps Defect to APC as PDP Crisis Deepens in State

Two Rivers Senators, Six Reps Defect to APC as PDP Crisis Deepens in State

Two serving Rivers State senators have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), marking another major setback for the opposition party in the oil-rich state.

The senators are Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, representing Rivers East Senatorial District, and Barinada Mpigi, representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District. Their defection was announced on Tuesday, adding to the growing list of elected officials leaving the PDP in Rivers State.

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The development comes amid a wave of political realignments that has seen several top office holders abandon the PDP. Among those who have reportedly dumped the party are Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, further weakening the party’s structure at the state level.

In a related move, all six PDP members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State also defected to the APC on Tuesday, consolidating the ruling party’s dominance in the state’s federal and state legislative caucuses.

Political analysts say the mass defections underscore the deepening internal crisis within the PDP in Rivers State and signal a major shift in the political balance of power ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Two Rivers Senators, Six Reps Defect to APC as PDP Crisis Deepens in State