Dare Babalola
The House of Representatives witnessed a major political shake-up on Tuesday as no fewer than 26 lawmakers formally announced their defection from their respective political parties, citing deepening internal crises and uncertainty ahead of the next election cycle.
The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, disclosed the development during plenary after reading letters submitted by the affected lawmakers to formally notify the chamber of their decisions.
The wave of defections comes amid shifting political alliances and was preceded by the temporary suspension of House rules to admit prominent political figures into the chamber.
Among those present were Abba Yusuf, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, and former National Chairman of the APC, Umaru Ganduje.
The affected lawmakers cut across several major political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). A significant number of them have now aligned with the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Among the high-profile switches, House Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese defected from the APC to the Labour Party, attributing his move to unresolved internal disputes within his state chapter.
Similarly, Aliyu Abdullahi (Kaduna) moved from the APC to ADC, while Akanni Clement (Osun) left the PDP for the Accord Party. In Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere switched from the PDP to the All Progressives Party (APP), with Matthew Nwogu also joining the same party from the Labour Party.
In another notable development, Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi (Anambra) and Uchenna Okonkwo defected from the Labour Party to the ADC. Several lawmakers, including Yahaya Tungo (Gombe), Seyi Sowunmi (Lagos), Mani Maishinko (Sokoto), Abdulsahmad Dasuki (Sokoto), and Umaru Yusuf (Sokoto), also moved from the PDP or LP to the ADC.
From Adamawa State, Mohammed Bassi defected from the PDP to the APC, while a significant realignment occurred within the Kano caucus.
Several lawmakers elected under the NNPP platform crossed over to the APC, led by Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Madaki, who cited concerns surrounding developments within the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Other Kano lawmakers who joined the APC include Mustapha Tijani, Mohammed Shehu, Idris Dankawu, Hassan Shehu, Rabiu Yusuf, Mohammed Chiroma, Garba Mohammed, and Tijani Jobe.
The PDP also suffered additional losses as Jafaru Yakubu and Sadiq Tafida (Taraba), Ibrahim Mohammed (Kebbi), and Bello Shinkafi (Zamfara) defected to the APC. In Osun, Lanre Oladebo also exited the PDP for the Accord Party.
In their separate letters, the lawmakers attributed their decisions to lingering internal divisions, factional conflicts, and a lack of cohesion within their former parties at both state and national levels. They said these challenges created uncertainty about their political futures, prompting them to seek more stable platforms.
Many of the defectors added that they undertook extensive consultations with constituents, political allies, and family members before arriving at their decisions, underscoring the broader implications of the ongoing political realignments ahead of future elections.
