Etanabene Benedict, a member of the Labour Party’s (LP) caucus in the House of Representatives, has said that several colleagues are considering defecting to the All Progressives Congress.
Benedict made this admission during an appearance on Politics Today, which aired on Channels Television on Friday, December 6.
This announcement followed the defection of four LP lawmakers to the APC on Thursday, who cited internal party conflicts as their reason for departing.
The LP has expressed its anger with the defections, threatening legal action and urging Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, to declare the legislators’ seats empty.
Benedict, who represents Delta’s Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal district, said the defections were due to smart political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Nobody believes that if you are elected to office, there is a time limit, and when that time comes, if the people want you again, you’re reelected; if they don’t want you, you go,” he said.
“It is about 2027. The trend of Edo and Ondo is frightening to them, and they do not believe that they are strategically positioned to seek reelection under the umbrella of the Labour Party. That is the main reason.”
Benedict suggested that more defections could follow, adding, “There are still many others in the Labour Party that are thinking along that line too. So, if it happens tomorrow, I won’t be surprised.”
He also disputed allegations of an internal crisis within the LP, calling them a ruse to rationalize the lawmakers’ departure from the party.
