Nigeria’s House of Representatives witnessed massive defection of members across political parties on Tuesday as 27 members dumped their political platforms for new ones ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC gained about 14 new members, losing two to the Labour Party, LP and African Democratic Congress, ADC respectively. Meanwhile, the ADC, received eight new members, Accord Party and Action People’s Party two each while LP got one.
House Speaker, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas while reading the various letters of defection explained that the defecting lawmakers blamed the development on political disagreements in their parties.
House Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinnobi led the LP defectors to the ADC, giving the opposition coalition its first principal officer in the National Assembly.
Ozodinnobi told lawmakers that the crisis in the LP has affected the collective pursuit of a common agenda, adding that his decision to join the ADC will enhance his contribution to national development.
Other members 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)
For the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, the House Deputy Minority Leader, Sani Madaki led his fellow members to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Madaki explained that the crisis in the party, which has resulted in series of court cases has divided its members with some supporting former Kano state governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and others pitching tent with another faction.
The Kano NNPP members who joined Madaki in the APC include Mustapha Ghali Tijani, Mohammed Umar Shehu, Dankwa Idris, Hassan Shehu, Tanimu Yusuf, Mohammed Ciroma, Sani Madaki, and Tijani Jobe
Other lawmakers who joined the APC are Ja’afaru Yakubu (PDP, Taraba), Sadiq Tafida (PDP, Taraba), Ibrahim Mohammed (PDP, Kebbi) and Hassan Shinkafi.
Other lawmakers who left their political platforms to different parties include Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP to APP), Matthew Nwaogu (LP to APP), Ademola Akani and Lanre Oladebo Omoleye ( PDP to Accord)
With this development, the number of lawmakers on the platform of the All Progressives Congress stands at 280 while the Peoples Democratic Party still maintains the highest number of members among the opposition parties with 38 members.
The ADC now has 15 members, followed by the LP with 12 members, NNPP 5, while Accord and APP have 2 members each.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
