Iheanyi Frank Chinasa, the National Assembly liaison officer to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has defected to the All Progressives Congress.
Chinasa’s boss Governor Otti, despite being a member of Labour Party (LP), has himself said he would not oppose the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling APC. Otti came to power partly on the popularity of LP’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi who has since moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the crisis that has seemingly incapacitated LP.
Otti, some say, is looking to exit LP to stand any chance of securing another term as governor.
Chinasa’s defection to APC signals part of the shifting political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections
The development was revealed in a Sunday statement signed by Levinus Nwabughiogu, chief press secretary to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu.
Chinasa, popularly known as Dogo, threw his weight behind Kalu at a gathering of APC stakeholders in Owerri, Imo State.
The meeting, convened by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, brought together senior party figures as part of efforts to consolidate APC’s structure in the South-East.
His defection is notable because of Chinasa’s strategic role within the Labour Party-led administration in Abia, where he acted as a conduit between the state government and federal legislators.
It also represents a change in alignment as Chinasa previously contested against Kalu for the Bende Federal Constituency seat in the 2023 general election and had been critical of him.
Welcoming Chinasa, Kalu described the move as the first of more high-profile entrants expected to join the APC in the coming months.
“Dogo ran election with me in Bende for the House of Representatives and was later appointed by the governor as National Assembly Liaison Officer.
“He is from Bende and from Ikwu Isii, my own section of the constituency and today, he has come to join our party,” Kalu said, adding that Chinasa would be warmly received within the party.
He urged party members and aspirants to remain committed ahead of future polls.
“I want to encourage everybody, especially the aspirants, to be strong-willed and courageous and to keep pushing. The harder you work, the more people will want to join APC,” Kalu said.
