ABUJA — No fewer than 27 members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday dumped their parties in a fresh wave of defections, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerging the biggest beneficiary as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, announced the defections during plenary, noting that while the APC gained 14 new members, it also lost two lawmakers to opposition parties.
The development has further strengthened the APC’s dominance in the Green Chamber, raising its membership to about 280 out of 360 seats.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which recorded significant losses, now has 38 members, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has 15. The Labour Party Nigeria and the New Nigeria Peoples Party have 12 and five members respectively, while the Accord Party and the Action Peoples Party have two members each.
Among notable defections, Ademola Akani and Lanre Oladebo Omoleye moved from the PDP to the Accord Party, while Ikenga Ugochinyere and Anthony Nwogu defected to the Action Peoples Party.
The Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, led a group of lawmakers from the Labour Party to the ADC, citing internal crisis within the party.
“I am leaving LP due to the crisis in the party, which has affected the pursuit of our collective agenda,” he said.
Other lawmakers who joined the ADC include Harris Uchenna, Yahaya Tongo, Oluwaseyi Sowumi, Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi, Mani Maishinko, Abdulsamad Dasuki, and Umar Yabo.
The APC also boosted its ranks with several defectors, including Sani Madaki, Mustapha Tijani, Mohammed Shehu, Dankwa Idris, Hassan Shehu, Tanimu Yusuf, Mohammed Ciroma, Tijani Jobe, Ja’afaru Yakubu, Sadiq Tafida, Ibrahim Mohammed, and Hassan Shinkafi.
Explaining his move, Sani Madaki, a former Deputy Minority Leader, said internal divisions within the NNPP forced his decision.
“The crisis divided members between supporters of the founders and that of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, making it difficult to function effectively,” he said.
The latest defections underscore growing political fluidity within the National Assembly and signal early positioning by lawmakers as the 2027 elections approach.
