From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The lawmaker representing Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency, Hon. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha, has commended two of his colleagues from Enugu State—Hon. Prof. Paul Nnamchi and Hon. Chimaobi Atu—for joining him in defecting from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Hon. Umeha, who was elected under the LP banner, officially announced his defection to the APC during a well-attended reception at Akama Oghe Civic Center on June 5, 2025, where he was joined by supporters and party structures from his constituency.
Two weeks later, Hon. Nnamchi, representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency, and Hon. Atu, representing Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, declared their defection to the APC during plenary sessions at the House of Representatives.
Reacting to the development, Hon. Umeha expressed satisfaction in a statement issued by his media team.
The statement read in part:”This week, history was made. Like a true evangelist of progress, Rt. Hon. Barr. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha continues to champion a new political dawn for Enugu State.”Within just one week, two powerful Federal House of Representatives members, Hon. Nnamchi Paul Sunday (Enugu East/Isi-Uzo) and Hon. Chimaobi Sam Atu (Enugu North/South) answered the call and officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the 10th National Assembly.”Umeha is not just doing politics, he’s leading a movement! He calls it evangelism. And yes, the message is clear, MORE are still coming.”
The statement credited Umeha as the catalyst behind the shift of Enugu lawmakers toward the APC and projected that more defections may follow.
He further emphasized the importance of Enugu aligning with the ruling party at the federal level.
“This evangelism must continue. Enugu is the centre pole of the South East and must be connected to the national grid of progress!” the statement added.
At the start of the 10th National Assembly, seven of the eight federal lawmakers from Enugu were elected on the Labour Party platform. However, ongoing leadership crises within the LP have prompted several lawmakers to switch allegiance to either the APC or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Investigations show that Hon. Dennis Agbo (Igbo Eze North/Udenu) and Hon. Mark Obetta (Nsukka/Igbo Eze South) have joined the PDP, the ruling party in Enugu State.
Speaking at a reception held at the PDP Secretariat in Enugu to welcome him and several state lawmakers into the party, Hon. Obetta explained his move.He stated that there was no need for opposition politics in the state and cited Governor Peter Mbah’s developmental strides as a key reason for offering full support through the PDP.
With the recent defections, the PDP now boasts four federal lawmakers from Enugu: Hon. Dennis Agbo, Hon. Mark Obetta, Hon. Nnoli Nnaji (Nkanu East/Nkanu West), and Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River).
Meanwhile, the APC, which initially had no elected federal lawmaker from Enugu, now has three—Hon. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha, Hon. Prof. Paul Nnamchi, and Hon. Chimaobi Atu.
Hon. Umeha remains confident that a political realignment is underway in Enugu and foresees more stakeholders embracing the APC, a shift he believes will elevate the state’s influence at the national level.
He argued that as the political hub of the South East, Enugu must be part of the national power structure to maximize its contributions and benefits.
