Imo State's Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, representing Ideato Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Downstream, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Action Peoples Party on January 7, 2026. The move, announced at a musical concert in Akokwa amid billboards displaying APP insignia, follows months of PDP frustrations including a reversed 2024 expulsion.
Ugochinyere blamed PDP's "irreparable" leadership crisis on ex-NWC figures like Umar Damagum, declaring his exit "numbered" during December 2025 constituent visits. He accused the party of internal conflicts, failed reconciliations, and neglecting his reform efforts while alleging Imo Governor Hope Uzodinma's intimidation.
The switch bolsters APP already dominant in Rivers LG polls as Ugochinyere eyes South-East expansion ahead of 2027, joining Peter Obi's ADC defection, Datti Baba-Ahmed's LP presidential bid, and Wike's Tinubu mobilization. PDP faces further erosion mirroring factional Jonathan pledges.
As minority caucus leader, Ugochinyere's departure weakens PDP's National Assembly footprint amid INEC's CVR relaunch and Abia teachers' strike threats, intensifying opposition fragmentation. Imo APP welcomes him, predicting electoral gains.