A fresh wave of defections hit the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with several lawmakers switching allegiances across major political parties, citing internal divisions and unresolved disputes within their former parties.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, announced the defections during plenary, as the Green Chamber resumed proceedings from its Easter break.
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Prominent among the defectors is Thaddeus Atta, a Lagos lawmaker, who moved from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In his letter, Mr Atta blamed persistent internal divisions within the LP for his defection, noting that the crisis had made it increasingly difficult for him to effectively discharge his legislative responsibilities to his constituents.
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Similarly, Basiru Usman from Sokoto State defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC.
Some lawmakers who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attributed their decision to what they described as “irreconcilable differences” within the party, adding that they had carried out wide consultations with political stakeholders before taking the step.
Those lawmakers include Abubakar Buba (Niger), who defected from the PDP to the APC; Sani Noma (Kebbi), who moved from the PDP to the ADC; and Ibrahim Mohammed (Kebbi), who joined the APC from the PDP.
Also, two Osun lawmakers, Mudashiru Alani and Olusoji Adetunji, defected from the PDP to the Accord Party, further highlighting the growing fragmentation within opposition ranks.
In a reverse movement, David Abel from Taraba State defected from the APC to the PDP.
Rising wave of defections
Tuesday’s development adds to a growing trend of political realignments in the lower chamber, as lawmakers reposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On 31 March, no fewer than 26 lawmakers formally defected from their respective parties. The defections cut across major platforms, including the APC, PDP, LP, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and others, with many of the lawmakers settling in the APC and ADC.
Among the notable moves during that round was the defection of the House deputy spokesperson, Philip Agbese (Benue), who left the APC for the Labour Party, citing internal party disputes in his state.
Earlier, on 12 March, the House recorded another round of defections involving 12 members who moved from the PDP, LP and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the APC and ADC.
This spate of defections highlights deepening fractures within Nigeria’s political parties and signals intensifying alignments as political actors begin early manoeuvres ahead of the 2027 polls.
