A fresh wave of defections swept through the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers realigned across party lines in what appears to be early positioning for the 2027 general elections.
At the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, read out a series of defection letters, reflecting a growing fluidity within Nigeria’s political space.
He dismissed concerns that the trend signalled an attempt to edge the country toward a one-party system, insisting instead that it underscores democratic freedom.
“This is to show the country that no party is stiffled. People are leaving the majority party to the minority parties and the minority parties to the majority party. This is the beauty of democracy,” Kalu said.
One of the notable movements came from Lagos, where Thaddeus Attah, representing Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, dumped the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress.
In his letter, Attah attributed his decision to “the protracted crisis in the leadership of the LP,” which he said has hampered effective representation of his constituents in recent months.
The Peoples Democratic Party emerged as the biggest casualty of the latest round of defections, losing five members.
Among them, Abubakar Abdul from Niger State defected to the All Progressives Congress, while Yakubu Noma (Kebbi) joined the ADC and Ibrahim Mohammed (also from Kebbi) moved to the APC.
In Osun State, two lawmakers—Mudashiru Alani (Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa) and Adetunji Olusoji (Odo-Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe)—left the PDP for the Accord Party.
However, the APC also recorded losses. David Fuoh (Taraba) defected to the PDP, while Bashir Zubair (Kaduna) joined the ADC, highlighting the two-way nature of the shifting alliances.
Defections are not new in Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly as election cycles approach. With less than two years to the 2027 polls, lawmakers are increasingly recalibrating their positions in response to internal party disputes, electoral calculations, and evolving regional dynamics.
The current wave is partly driven by lingering leadership crises within parties—most notably in the PDP and LP—as both major and smaller parties intensify efforts to strengthen their ranks ahead of primaries.
For many legislators, party affiliation is often influenced by prospects for re-election, access to party structures, and alignment with influential political blocs at the state and national levels.
Since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in 2023, the APC has maintained a numerical advantage in the House, but opposition parties have continued to jostle for relevance through strategic defections and coalition-building.
The emergence of parties like the ADC as beneficiaries of defections suggests a gradual diversification of the political space beyond the traditional dominance of the APC and PDP.
Analysts say the trend may intensify in the coming months as parties finalise their internal structures and aspirants begin to test their popularity ahead of primaries.
For now, Tuesday’s developments reinforce a familiar pattern: in Nigeria’s legislature, party loyalty often remains fluid, especially when electoral stakes are high.
The House adjourned plenary to Wednesday in honour of Kano lawmaker Hassan Danjuma, who died on April 10, 2026, at the age of 66.
(Punch)
