A major political realignment swept through the House of Representatives on Tuesday as 27 lawmakers defected across party lines, significantly altering the balance of power ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The wave of defections saw the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge with the largest gains, adding about 14 members, while losing two lawmakers to the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The ADC recorded eight new entrants, while the Accord Party and Action People’s Party (APP) gained two members each, and the LP secured one.
Presiding over plenary, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read the defection letters, noting that most lawmakers cited internal crises and irreconcilable differences within their parties as reasons for their decisions.
In a significant boost for the ADC, House Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinnobi led a group of defectors from the LP to the party, effectively handing the ADC its first principal officer position in the 10th National Assembly.
Explaining his move, Ozodinnobi said, “The crisis in the Labour Party has affected the collective pursuit of a common agenda,” adding that his defection to the ADC would “enhance my contribution to national development.
Other lawmakers who joined the ADC include Harris Uchenna (LP, Anambra), Yahaya Tongo (PDP, Gombe), Oluwaseyi Sowumi (LP, Lagos), Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (APC, Kaduna), Mani Maishinko (PDP, Sokoto), Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) and Umar Yusuf Yabo (PDP, Sokoto).
Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) suffered a major setback as its House Deputy Minority Leader, Sani Madaki, led several members into the APC.
Madaki attributed the defection to internal divisions within the NNPP, stating that ongoing disputes and court cases had fractured the party. He noted that factions had emerged, with some members backing Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, while others aligned elsewhere.
Lawmakers who followed him into the APC include Mustapha Ghali Tijani, Mohammed Umar Shehu, Dankwa Idris, Hassan Shehu, Tanimu Yusuf, Mohammed Ciroma, Tijani Jobe, among others. Additional defectors to the APC came from the PDP, including Ja’afaru Yakubu (Taraba), Sadiq Tafida (Taraba), Ibrahim Mohammed (Kebbi) and Hassan Shinkafi.
Elsewhere, Ikenga Ugochinyere defected from the PDP to the APP, while Matthew Nwaogu moved from the LP to the APP. Ademola Akani and Lanre Oladebo Omoleye also left the PDP for the Accord Party.
Following the shake-up, the APC now commands 280 seats in the House, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the largest opposition party with 38 members. The ADC’s strength has risen to 15 members, with the LP holding 12 seats, NNPP five, and both Accord and APP maintaining two members each.
