Nigeria, Dec. 18 -- Four members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have defected from their respective political parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC), further strengthening the ruling party's numbers in the lower chamber.

The lawmakers are Awaji Inombek (PDP), Boma Goodhead (PDP), Manuchim Umezurike (LP) and Boniface Emerengwa (PDP).

Their defections were announced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Thursday, following the reading of separate letters from the affected lawmakers.

In their letters to the House, the lawmakers attributed their decision to what they described as deepening internal crises, leadership disputes and irreconcilable divisions within their fo...