Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South Senatorial District, has announced his intention to defect from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on 12 June 2025, citing a prolonged leadership crisis and lack of direction within the LP as the primary reasons for his decision. The announcement, made during a telephone interview with AriseNews on Monday, has sparked significant debate, with Imasuen’s political career and past legal troubles coming under renewed scrutiny.
Imasuen, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, explained that the internal disarray within the Labour Party has severely undermined its structure, making it untenable for him to continue. “The lack of direction within the party has completely weakened its framework and can no longer support my aspirations for Edo South,” he told AriseNews. He further stated that his move to the APC is a strategic effort to align his constituents with the federal government’s development priorities under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The defection comes amid a wave of political realignments in Edo State, with several lawmakers, including four members of the Edo State House of Assembly, having recently switched to the APC. Political analysts suggest that Imasuen’s decision could further bolster the APC’s dominance in the state ahead of the 2027 elections, while dealing a blow to the Labour Party’s influence. However, the LP has condemned such defections, citing Section 68(g) of the Nigerian Constitution, which restricts elected officials from switching parties without a party split or merger, and has threatened legal action against defectors.
Elected to the Senate in 2023 under the Labour Party platform, Imasuen defeated candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC to represent Edo South. A native of Benin City, he holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Maiduguri and was enrolled as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1985. He also earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Long Island University, Brooklyn, in 2004.
However, Imasuen’s political career has not been without controversy. In March 2025, constituents in Edo South, alongside the Human Rights Community, initiated a recall process against him, alleging corruption, abuse of office, and betrayal of public trust. The group also demanded his prosecution over circumstances surrounding his disbarment by the New York State Supreme Court in 2010 for professional misconduct. The allegations, which have resurfaced with his defection announcement, have prompted calls for an independent investigation, with some constituents suggesting Interpol’s involvement due to the international nature of the claims.
Imasuen has dismissed these accusations as politically motivated, claiming that those behind the recall efforts were being paid to tarnish his reputation. “They are doing a hatchet job because they are being paid from Kogi,” he stated earlier this year, referencing alleged external influences. Additionally, Imasuen has faced criticism for his role in a controversial Senate investigation involving a sexual harassment petition filed by suspended Kogi State Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Imasuen’s defection is seen as part of a broader trend of opposition lawmakers joining the APC, with posts on X indicating that two PDP senators from Akwa Ibom may also be planning to switch parties. The Labour Party has described such moves as “irrational” and a betrayal of voters’ trust, vowing to challenge them legally. Meanwhile, APC leaders in Edo State, including Eugene Utubor, Special Adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo, have welcomed Imasuen’s decision, noting his alignment with the governor’s vision for development.
As Edo South braces for the political fallout, Imasuen’s defection underscores the fluid nature of Nigerian politics, where party loyalty often takes a backseat to strategic alliances. However, his past legal troubles and ongoing allegations of corruption may continue to cast a shadow over his political ambitions, raising questions about transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s legislative landscape.
