The House of Representatives was on Tuesday jolted by a wave of political defections as 13 lawmakers formally crossed party lines, while former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, stepped down from his leadership role following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development, announced during plenary, was communicated through letters read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, with the affected lawmakers citing internal party crises, leadership disputes, and the need for improved representation of their constituents.
Among the defectors was Gaza, who moved from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Labour Party (Labour Party).
Alex Ehnona left the APC for the PDP, while Esosa Iyawo defected from the APC to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing internal disagreements within the Edo State chapter of the party.
In another move, Sani Lawal and Shehu Tafoki also exited the APC, with Tafoki joining the PDP after consultations with stakeholders. Lawal said his decision was aimed at improving service delivery to his constituency.
A major bloc defection was recorded in Oyo State, where six PDP lawmakers moved to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), citing prolonged leadership crises and unresolved internal disputes within the party.
The lawmakers include Adebayo Adepoju, Adedeji Stanley Olajide, Ojo Sunday, Najeem Oyedeji, Folajimi Oyekunle, and Abbas Adigun, who all said their decision followed broad consultations with constituents.
The PDP gained one new member, Etanebene Benedict, who defected from the Labour Party, citing leadership vacuum and alleged political interference within his former party structure.
Meanwhile, Auwalu Gwalabe of Bauchi State also left the PDP for the APM.
In a related development, Chinda formally resigned as Minority Leader after his defection to the APC and emergence as the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.
Speaker Abbas read his resignation letter on the floor of the House, in which he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as Minority Leader and pledged continued commitment to legislative duties despite leaving the opposition leadership role.
Chinda’s exit is expected to trigger consultations among opposition lawmakers over a new Minority Leader in the Green Chamber, as political realignments continue to reshape the House.
