A member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Harrison Ogara, has vehemently denied reports circulating on social media about his alleged plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ogara, who represents Igbo-Eze South Constituency under the Labour Party platform, described the defection rumours as "lies from the pit of hell" while addressing journalists on Tuesday.

Social media platforms had been awash with claims that the lawmaker was set to formally join the APC on Saturday, allegations that Ogara said left him shocked and embarrassed.

"I don't know where they got the information; I feel so embarrassed. I had to go and search for it, look at the details, but I discovered it's been done by APC e-rats," Ogara stated.

The lawmaker emphasized his continued loyalty to the Labour Party, questioning the rationale behind any potential defection. "Why should I defect to APC? That is the first question. You must have a reason for defecting to any party," he said.

Ogara further explained that his political ideologies do not align with those of the APC. "If I see what APC is doing and it is to the detriment of the people, it shows that their ideologies don't align with mine, so I have no reason to do that," he added.

The lawmaker also ruled out any possibility of defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that the party had initially rejected him before he found success with the Labour Party.

"Some were saying PDP, and I asked, why PDP? PDP rejected me ab-initio and I found a place where they said come and contest, I contested and won. Why should I leave the place? It will amount to moral bankruptcy to abandon the party that made you what you are," Ogara remarked.

He criticized politicians who frequently change party affiliations, suggesting that such moves are often motivated by fears of election rigging rather than genuine ideological alignment.

However, Ogara indicated that if the crisis in the Labour Party becomes irresolvable and a move becomes necessary, he would follow the lead of Peter Obi, whom he acknowledged as his political leader. "Mr Peter Obi is our leader, wherever he goes, I go," he declared.

The defection rumours come amid ongoing political realignments in Nigeria as parties prepare for future electoral contests.