Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the outspoken member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency in Imo State and Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), is scheduled to formally defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Peoples Party (APP) on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
The defection comes amid escalating frustrations with the PDP's lingering leadership crisis, which Ugochinyere has repeatedly blamed on unresolved internal conflicts and failed reconciliation efforts.
In late December 2025, during a solidarity visit by constituents at his hometown in Akokwa, Ideato North Local Government Area, Ugochinyere declared his days in the PDP "numbered," stating, "We will soon say bye-bye to PDP."
He accused the party's former National Working Committee, led by acting Chairman Umar Damagum, of contributing to its decline and announced he was concluding consultations for a new platform.
Sources close to the lawmaker confirm that the switch to the APP, a smaller but growing party that recently dominated local government elections in Rivers State, will be announced tomorrow, with many supporters already displaying APP insignia on billboards and materials.
Ugochinyere's move follows a turbulent period with the PDP, including a brief expulsion by the party's Ideato local chapter in December 2024 over alleged anti-party activities, which was overturned by the national leadership.
He has been a vocal critic of the party's handling of internal disputes and has previously warned of mass defections amid the crisis.
The defection adds to the PDP's woes as it grapples with shrinking influence ahead of future elections, while boosting the APP's profile in Imo and potentially the South-East region.
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