A fresh wave of defections hit the House of Representatives, as six lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) on Thursday announced their move to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, disclosed the defections during plenary after reading separate letters submitted by the lawmakers.
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Five defectors are from Enugu State, while one represents Plateau State.
Those who switched allegiance to the APC are Daniel Ago (LP, Plateau), Chidi Obetta (PDP, Enugu), Anayo Onwuegbu (PDP, Enugu), Dennis Agbo (PDP, Enugu), Martins George (PDP, Enugu), and Nnaji Nnolim (PDP, Enugu).
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In their letters to the speaker, the lawmakers cited “irreconcilable differences” and internal divisions within their former parties as reasons to join the APC.
Following the announcement, the defectors were ushered to the speaker’s seat, where they were formally received and welcomed into the ruling party amid applause from APC members in the chamber.
The development marks yet another round of defections to the APC in recent weeks, signalling the party’s growing consolidation of power within the National Assembly.
Several lawmakers from the PDP and LP had earlier switched allegiance to the ruling party, citing instability and factionalism in their former political platforms.
Their defection also comes at a time of renewed political realignment across the country, especially in the South-east, where the APC has been intensifying efforts to strengthen its presence and expand its political base ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Notably, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and APC National Chairperson, Nentawe Yilwatda, were ushered into the chamber to observe proceedings on Thursday.
Mr Mbah recently moved from the PDP to the APC.
The defections also come amid growing signs of internal instability within the PDP and LP following the 2023 general elections.
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The PDP has continued to battle factional disputes across several states, while the LP has been plagued by a leadership crisis between its National Chairperson, Julius Abure, and the faction led by Nenadi Usman.
The latest defections will further consolidate APC’s numerical strength in the House and weaken the opposition’s voice on key legislative debates. The APC already holds a comfortable majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Enugu, traditionally a PDP stronghold, appears to be witnessing a gradual political shift.
However, the development has once again drawn attention to Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that a lawmaker can only defect to another party if there is a division within his current party.
