By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Perez Brisibe

DELTA STATE — THERE was apprehension in Delta State yesterday over the fate of some members of the House of Assembly following speculations that some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP members of the House had defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

•Okowa

The only member who confirmed his defection yesterday was the immediate past speaker of the House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya.

At least three members Vanguard gathered could defect but are afraid to make their plans known upon fears that their seats could be declared vacant upon constitutional provisions.

Igbuya who was a close associate of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and had before his impeachment been at the forefront of the Okowa re-election campaign Vanguard gathered has obtained the form of the APC for the APC to contest for the House of Representative seat for Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie federal constituency.

At least three members of the House have been identified as possible defectors given their local circumstances.

Igbuya’s defection to the APC would restore his political relationship with the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who himself recently defected to the APC.

Igbuya was a strongman in the House during the transition that birthed the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration and his last-minute switch from Dr. Uduaghan’s camp to Okowa late in 2014 was partly pivotal to Okowa’s success in the Delta PDP primaries. He was rewarded with the speakership and used the platform to project Okowa’s second term until his removal from office.

A number of former aides and associates of Uduaghan’s are expected to go along with him, but there is little prospect of any of those in government abandoning the PDP for the APC.