Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Collins Chiji, has defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Seven other lawmakers equally joined the ruling APC from the PDP.
The speaker announced his defection and that of his colleagues during a plenary on Tuesday in Owerri.
The plenary, which lasted for 15 minutes, came to an end after the speaker announced the names of the defecting lawmakers.
Apart from the speaker, others who defected are Uche Ogbuagu (Ikeduru), Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West) Chigozie Nwaneri(Oru East), Kanayo Onyemaechi (Owerri West), Kennedy Ibe (Obowo) Onyemaechi Njoku (Ihitte/Uboma), and Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise).
With the defections, APC now has 18 lawmakers with PDP having eight in the Imo State House of Assembly.
Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), who was declared the winner of the supplementary election held Saturday, on Action Alliance platform, is yet to be sworn-in by the speaker.
