Their defections were formally announced on Wednesday by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, who read separate letters addressed to the House by the lawmakers.
In their letters, both lawmakers cited deep internal crises, lack of cohesion, and irreconcilable divisions within the NNPP at both the national and state levels as reasons for leaving the party.
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“These persistent conflicts have created an environment that is no longer conducive for productive political engagement or for the pursuit of the collective aspirations of my constituents,” part of the letter read.
They added that after wide consultations with their constituents, political associates, and stakeholders, they had resolved that joining the APC would enable them to continue providing effective representation and contribute meaningfully to national development.
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Before the announcement, the House suspended its rules to admit a delegation of APC leaders and guests from Kano State, including principal officers from the Senate.
Those ushered into the chamber included the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno; Senate Minority Leader, Osita Ngwu; and Ibrahim Ashiru, among others.
Also in attendance were the APC National Chairperson, Nentawe Yilwatda and his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, along with several other party chieftains.
After reading the letters, Speaker Tajudeen congratulated the defectors, saying, “Congratulations for coming to the greatest party in Africa.”
During the announcement, the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda, repeatedly attempted to raise a point of order, apparently to challenge the defections, but was not recognised by the speaker.
Some lawmakers jokingly shouted, “You are ruled out of order!” as the APC dignitaries, defectors, and several members moved to the speaker’s podium to exchange greetings and take photographs.
In a light-hearted moment, the speaker turned to Mr Chinda and said, “Hon. Chinda, come and join us,” prompting laughter in the chamber.
Another voice was heard saying, “He should just decamp.”
Minority parties in disarray
The back-to-back defections in recent weeks adds to a growing list of opposition lawmakers who have in recent weeks abandoned their parties for the ruling APC.
The trend has been attributed to internal wrangling and leadership disputes within several minority parties, including the NNPP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In the past few weeks, at least a dozen lawmakers from both chambers have defected to the APC, citing similar reasons of “division and internal crisis.”
The wave of defections has also raised fresh concerns among minority party leaders about the weakening of their collective influence in the House.
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