Nine lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly on Tuesday defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance and Action Alliance.
There are 27 members in the House.
Before the defections, the PDP had 13 members in the House, the AA had eight, while APGA had six.
The lawmakers who defected are Authur Egwim ( Ideato North) from the AA to the APC, Chyna Iwuanyanwu( Nwangele) from the PDP to the APC, Chidiebere Ogbunikpa (Okigwe) from the PDP to the APC, Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre) from the AA to the APC and Paul Emeziem (Onuimo) from the PDP to the APC.
Others are Ekene Nnodimele (Orsu) from the APGA to the APC, Johnson Duru (Ideato South) AA to the APC, Ngozi Obiefule (Isu) AA to the APC, and Heclus Okorocha (Ohaji/Egbema) from the PDP to the APC.
The defection started around 3.30 pm when the Speaker of the House, Collins Chiji, read the letters of the defectors at the floor of the House.
The Supreme Court had on January 14 nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State.
A seven-man panel of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, unanimously declared Hope Uzodinma of the APC as winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election and the validly elected governor of the state.
The apex court decision’s terminated Ihedioha’s governorship, which was in its eighth month.
