The member representing Orlu/Oru East/Orsu Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alagbaoso, who read his letter of defection on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday, said he hoped to work with his state governor, Hope Uzodinma, to take the state to the centre of Nigerian politics.He commended the governor for his various achievements, adding that there was need to work with the governor to bring more dividends of democracy to the people.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided, said given Alagbaoso’s political stature, his defection was an “earthquake moment”.This, Gbajabiamila said, was the reason Alagbaoso was allowed to read his defection letter by himself instead of the Speaker, which is the usual practice. Hon Alagbaoso’s defection brings the count to four numbers of defections of Federal lawmakers in Imo state, from PDP to APC since after the 2023 general elections.