Senator Allwell Onyesoh, representing Rivers East Senatorial District, on Tuesday explained why he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, blaming what he described as deep-rooted impunity and the erosion of the party’s founding ideals.
The lawmaker’s defection was formally announced during plenary in the Senate, where his letter was read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
His move comes amid worsening internal crises within the PDP, which have continued to fuel defections and weaken the opposition party’s cohesion at the National Assembly.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Publicity and Communications, Peter Oriri, Onyesoh said his decision was anchored on his commitment to service and the welfare of his constituents.
“We live to make life better for others. Our lives must impact others positively,” the senator said, adding that when such opportunities are deliberately obstructed, “the only other thing to do is to look for another way to continue to do what you believe is right.”
Using a vivid metaphor to illustrate his political journey, Onyesoh likened himself to rivers navigating obstacles on their way to the ocean.
“All rivers move deliberately to the Atlantic. When they meet obstacles, they go around them and continue their journey. I am deliberate about why I am here to bring the good things of democracy to my people,” he stated.
The Rivers lawmaker, who was elected on the platform of the PDP, expressed strong disappointment with the current state of the party, describing it as a shadow of its former self.
“The PDP used to be a wonderful party with vision and strong values, but impunity gradually eroded everything our founding fathers built,” he said.
He claimed some party leaders routinely manipulate internal processes to suit personal ambitions, noting, “They disobey all internal party rules just to get tickets, and the party has been reduced to a mere vehicle for personal interest.”
Onyesoh further dismissed claims that the PDP was enjoying internal peace, insisting that the calm often touted by party leaders was deceptive.
“The peace you see is the peace of the graveyard,” he remarked, warning that silence in the face of injustice only breeds instability. “What society gains when good people refuse to speak out is anarchy”, he added.
Reaffirming his new political direction, the senator declared, “I have moved on so that I can continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to my people,” while pledging full support for the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Following the announcement of his defection, the Senate chamber erupted in applause as lawmakers across party lines congratulated him.
Several senators described the move as timely, expressing confidence that his experience and legislative capacity would further strengthen debates and oversight in the Red Chamber.
Onyesoh, who chairs the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, was formally received into the APC at the National Assembly by a delegation of party leaders.
His defection, alongside that of Senator Barinada Mpigi representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, has further boosted the APC’s numerical strength in the Senate and underscores the ongoing political realignments in Rivers State and at the national level.
