Nigeria, Dec. 23 -- Six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, announced the defections during Tuesday's plenary.

The lawmakers are Dumnamene Dekor (Khana/Gokana), Solomon Bob (Abua-Odual/Ahoada East), Cyril Hart (Degema/Bonny), Victor Obuzor (Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni), Blessing Chigeru (Port Harcourt II) and Felix Nweke (Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai).

In separate letters read on the floor of the House, the lawmakers attributed their decision to what they described as deepening internal crises, leadership disputes and irreconcilable divisions within the PDP. The...