Eight NNPP Reps Join APC As Speaker Abbas Presides Over Defection Plenary, APC Now Hits 280 Members As PDP, NNPP, LP Lose Strength

Twenty-seven members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday announced their defection from various political parties, triggering a significant shift in the composition of the lower chamber.

The development saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge as the major beneficiary, gaining about 14 lawmakers while losing two members. With the latest realignments, the APC’s strength in the House has risen to approximately 280 members.

In contrast, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which remains the largest opposition party, now has 38 members. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) increased its presence to 15 members, while the Labour Party (LP) now has 12 members. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which initially had 18 members, has been reduced to five, while the Accord Party and the Action Peoples Party (APP) now have two members each.

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At the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on June 23, 2023, the APC had about 181 members, while opposition parties collectively held 179 seats, with the PDP accounting for about 115 lawmakers. The latest defections highlight a major political realignment within the House.

Among the notable defections, House Deputy Spokesman, Phillip Agbese, left the APC for the Labour Party, citing the protracted crisis in Benue State. Similarly, Ademola Akani and Lanre Oladebo Omoleye defected from the PDP to the Accord Party, while Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and Anthony Nwogu (LP, Imo) joined the Action Peoples Party.

A group of lawmakers led by House Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinnobi, moved from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress. Others who joined the ADC include Harris Uchenna (LP, Anambra), Yahaya Tongo (PDP, Gombe), Oluwaseyi Sowumi (LP, Lagos), Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (APC, Kaduna), Mani Maishinko (PDP, Sokoto), Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), and Umar Yusuf Yabo (PDP, Sokoto).

The APC also recorded significant gains from the NNPP, as Mustapha Ghali Tijani, Mohammed Umar Shehu, Dankwa Idris, Hassan Shehu, Tanimu Yusuf, Mohammed Ciroma, Sani Madaki, and Tijani Jobe all defected to the ruling party. Additional defectors to the APC include Ja’afaru Yakubu (PDP, Taraba), Sadiq Tafida (PDP, Taraba), Ibrahim Mohammed (PDP, Kebbi), and Hassan Shinkafi.

Explaining his decision, Sani Madaki, who served as Deputy Minority Leader before his defection, cited the protracted crisis within the NNPP, including internal divisions linked to the Kwankwasiyya movement and ongoing litigation. Similarly, Ozodinnobi attributed his exit from the Labour Party to internal conflicts that he said had undermined the party’s cohesion and effectiveness.

In a related development, eight lawmakers from Kano State formally defected from the NNPP to the APC during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. The defectors cited internal crises within their former party as the primary reason for their decision.

The session was attended by key political figures, including Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, and former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Overall, the wave of defections underscores deepening internal crises within several opposition parties and signals a growing consolidation of power by the ruling APC ahead of future political contests.