By George OPARA, Port Harcourt
A member of House of Representatives from Rivers State, Hon. Manuchim Umezuruike, has officially defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The lawmaker was spotted attending the ADC national convention in Abuja on Tuesday, where he formally declared his allegiance to his new party.
His defection came barely months after he joined the ruling APC in December 2025.
Hon. Manuchim, a known ally of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was among four House of Representatives members who defected to the APC to support Governor Fubara’s bid to take over the structure of the APC in Rivers State.
The other three lawmakers who made the switch alongside him in December 2025 were Hon. Boniface Emerengwa, Hon. Awaji Abiante, and Hon. Boma Goodhead.
However, political insiders suggest that Manuchim’s latest defection to the ADC may have been prompted by growing uncertainty over his renomination ticket.
Reliable sources indicate that none of the four pro-Fubara lawmakers may be given return tickets to contest the 2027 elections due to their alignment with Governor Fubara over FCT Minister Nyesom Wike during the height of the Rivers political crisis.
The crisis, which pitted Governor Fubara against his predecessor and now FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, deeply fractured the APC in Rivers State.
The four lawmakers had gambled on backing the sitting governor to wrest control of the party structure from Wike’s camp.
With the ADC convention ongoing in Abuja, it remains unclear whether the other three pro-Fubara lawmakers—Emerengwa, Abiante, and Boma Goodhead—will follow Manuchim’s lead and also defect from the APC.
Efforts to reach Manuchim for comment were unsuccessful as of press time, but his physical presence and participation at the ADC convention confirmed the defection.
This latest political realignment further complicates Rivers APC’s internal dynamics and sets the stage for intense battles ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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