The National Assembly Liaison Officer to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Iheanyi Frank Chinasa, popularly known as Dogo, has defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chinasa announced his defection by attending an APC Critical Stakeholders meeting in Owerri, Imo State, convened by Governor Hope Uzodinma to strengthen the party’s structure in the South-East. He was officially received into the party by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
The defection is particularly significant given Chinasa’s strategic role as the link between the Labour Party-led Abia State Government and federal lawmakers. Until his defection, he was a close ally of Governor Otti and a top member of the Labour Party in Bende LGA and Abia North Senatorial District.
Adding a dramatic twist to the move, Chinasa had contested against Benjamin Kalu for the Bende Federal Constituency seat in the 2023 election and had remained a vocal critic of the Deputy Speaker until now.
Welcoming his former rival into the APC, Deputy Speaker Kalu described the defection as a significant boost for the party in Abia State, predicting it as a sign of more high-profile entrants in the coming months. “Dogo ran for election with me in Bende for the House of Representatives and was later appointed by the governor as National Assembly Liaison Officer… today, he has come to join our Party (APC), I am sure he will feel welcome,” Kalu said.
Political observers view the defection as a major shift in the political landscape of Abia State, as parties begin repositioning for the 2027 elections. As of the time of this report, Chinasa has yet to publicly state the reasons behind his defection.
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