Twelve members of the House of Representatives have defected from their parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress and the African Democratic Congress as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The lawmakers, drawn from different geopolitical zones, formally notified the House of their decision in separate letters read during plenary by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. Most of them cited prolonged internal crises, leadership tussles and irreconcilable differences in their former parties as reasons for dumping their platforms.
Those who moved to the APC largely came from the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and other opposition parties that have been battling factional disputes since the last election cycle. Others chose the ADC, which has been positioning itself as a major opposition force and actively courting sitting lawmakers ahead of 2027.
Analysts say the latest defections add to a wider pattern of lawmakers crossing over to either the APC or the ADC as they reassess their chances before party primaries and the next polls. The movements are seen as strengthening the APC’s hold on the National Assembly while also boosting the ADC’s profile as an emerging home for some disaffected opposition figures.
Opposition leaders have condemned the defections, accusing the ruling party and its allies of exploiting internal disagreements to poach their members. They argue that the trend undermines party discipline and weakens the ability of opposition blocs to hold the government to account in the run up to 2027.
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