Hon. Desmond Sunday Stephen, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Assembly candidate for Okrika Constituency in Rivers State, has resigned from the party and moved to the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
Stephen, a grassroots politician and philanthropist from Okrika, is now seeking the Rivers State House of Assembly seat under the ADP platform.
His defection comes at a time political activities are gathering momentum across Rivers State, with political parties working to strengthen their structures ahead of the 2027 elections.
The politician confirmed his resignation after submitting a letter dated May 25, 2026.
In the letter, he thanked the leadership and members of the NDC for the experience and opportunities he received during his time in the party.
Stephen said his decision followed careful consideration of his political future and his desire to continue working for the people of Okrika.
He also indicated that his move was based on his belief that the ADP would provide a better platform to pursue his plans for the constituency.
The politician has been involved in community activities, youth empowerment and grassroots development initiatives in Okrika. His political interests have also centred on issues affecting residents at the local level.
According to him, his priorities include better access to education, improved infrastructure, healthcare and the creation of more economic opportunities for residents.
Stephen’s departure means the NDC will have to deal with the loss of one of its candidates for the state legislature as the 2027 election approaches.
The development has attracted attention within Okrika Constituency, particularly because Stephen had already secured the NDC ticket before deciding to leave the party.
Rather than abandon his ambition to represent the constituency, he has chosen to continue the race under a different political platform.
Speaking on the decision, Stephen said it was not taken suddenly.
He explained that his decision followed discussions about the future of the constituency and his desire to provide what he described as effective representation.
“I didn’t just wake up and decided to leave the NDC. The decision was born out of the desire to give a good representation to my people, who are fully behind me,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to members of the NDC for the support he received while working with the party.
In a related development, the Nigeria Democratic Congress had earlier faced uncertainty over its governorship contest in Rivers State after two aspirants emerged from its May 2026 governorship primary.
The contest involved Alabo Dumo Lulu-Briggs and Blessing Fubara, the elder brother of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Recall on June 13, Politics Nigeria reported that the NDC clarified that Blessing Fubara was not the party’s official governorship candidate at the time, following reports that had identified him as the party’s standard-bearer.
The clarification came after Fubara spoke about his political ambition during an interview on Arise Television.
Fubara rejected claims that his aspiration was being driven by his relationship with the Rivers governor.
He insisted that his political ambition was independent and based on his own convictions.
“I don’t have a godfather but I have God the father. You would also agree with me that if my ambition is determined by the grounds you are mentioning, it would mean I have no clear vision or focus for what I am working toward,” he said.
He also distanced his political ideology from that of his younger brother.
“My brother, Nigerians, and indeed the wider world saw what happened between him and his party. We have different political ideologies and individual perspectives,” Fubara stated.
He further said the political situation in Rivers had generated several narratives but maintained that his focus was on what he considered the interests of the state.
“It’s a trying moment for us in Rivers State and there are all sorts of narratives. They come with different narratives and try to set up a perspective for the people to run with but we are focused with our eyes on the ball that the soul of Rivers State must be rescued,” he added.
The dispute over the governorship ticket later moved beyond arguments and into the courts.
In July, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt dismissed a suit challenging the emergence of Dumo Lulu-Briggs as the NDC governorship candidate.
The case had been filed by Kings Unyeawaji, one of the party’s governorship aspirants, who challenged the outcome of the primary.
The matter was eventually discontinued after the plaintiff applied to withdraw the case. The defendants did not oppose the application, leading the court to dismiss the suit.
Following the ruling, Lulu-Briggs described the development as a step forward for his 2027 ambition and called for peaceful political competition in the state.
“I thank him for allowing the matter to rest. My hope is that in 2027, everyone who contests the election will accept the outcome in good faith,” Lulu-Briggs said.
“We are all Rivers people. There are no monsters among us. Let us go to the field, contest on a level playing ground, and allow the people to decide.”
