A fresh wave of defections has swept through the House of Representatives, with no fewer than 27 lawmakers switching party allegiance in a dramatic realignment that has further strengthened the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The shake-up saw the APC emerge as the biggest beneficiary, gaining about 14 lawmakers despite losing two, pushing its total strength in the House to around 280 members. In contrast, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), still the leading opposition party, now holds just 38 seats.
Other parties recorded mixed fortunes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) increased its membership to 15, while the Labour Party now has 12 lawmakers.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) suffered a major blow, with its numbers dropping from 18 to five. Both the Accord Party and the Action Peoples Party (APP) now have two members each.
The development marks a sharp shift from the balance of power at the inauguration of the 10th Assembly on June 23, 2023, when the APC held about 181 seats against a combined opposition strength of 179, with the PDP alone boasting about 115 lawmakers.
A closer look at the defections shows that the ADC gained eight lawmakers, while Accord and APP recorded two new entrants each. The Labour Party gained one member.
Among the high-profile moves, Deputy House Spokesman Phillip Agbese defected from the APC to the Labour Party, citing the lingering political crisis in Benue State—making him the first APC-elected lawmaker in the current Assembly to join a minority party.
Also, Ademola Akani and Lanre Oladebo Omoleye left the PDP for the Accord Party, while Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and Anthony Nwogu (Labour Party, Imo) moved to the APP.
House Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinnobi led a group of lawmakers from the Labour Party to the ADC, citing internal crises that have weakened the party’s collective direction.
Others 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).
In another major shift, eight lawmakers defected from the NNPP to the APC, including Mustapha Ghali Tijani, Mohammed Umar Shehu, Dankwa Idris, Hassan Shehu, Tanimu Yusuf, Mohammed Ciroma, Sani Madaki, and Tijani Jobe.
Additional PDP members who joined the APC include Ja’afaru Yakubu and Sadiq Tafida (both from Taraba), Ibrahim Mohammed (Kebbi), and Hassan Shinkafi.
Explaining his move, Sani Madaki pointed to deep internal divisions and lingering legal disputes within the NNPP, particularly those linked to the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Similarly, Ozodinnobi said the crisis within the Labour Party had hampered its effectiveness, adding that his switch to the ADC would better position him to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The latest defections underscore growing instability within opposition ranks and signal a further consolidation of power by the ruling APC in the House.
