Lawmakers Dump PDP, APC, LP In Fresh Defections

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP) suffered a fresh wave of defections in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with the PDP losing five of its members to other parties.

This comes as Lawmakers continued to realign across party lines ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu read out a series of defection letters, reflecting increasing fluidity within Nigeria’s political space.

Kalu dismissed concerns that the trend signals a drift towards a one-party system, insisting it reflects democratic freedom.

“This is to show the country that no party is stifled. People are leaving the majority party to the minority parties and the minority parties for the majority party. This is the beauty of democracy,” he said.

One of the notable defections came from Lagos State, where Thaddeus Attah, who represents Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, left the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In his letter, Attah attributed his decision to “the protracted crisis in the leadership of the LP,” which he said had affected effective representation of his constituents.

The PDP lost five members in the latest movement. Abubakar Abdul from Niger State defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Yakubu Noma from Kebbi State joined the ADC. Ibrahim Mohammed, also from Kebbi State, moved to the APC.

In Osun State, Mudashiru Alani (Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa) and Adetunji Olusoji (Odo-Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe) left the PDP for the Accord Party.

The APC also recorded losses as David Fuoh (Taraba) defected to the PDP, while Bashir Zubair (Kaduna) joined the ADC, highlighting the two-way nature of the political realignments.

The defections have been linked to ongoing leadership crises within major political parties, particularly the PDP and Labour Party, as political actors reposition ahead of party primaries.

Since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in 2023, the APC has maintained a numerical advantage in the House, while opposition parties continue to pursue relevance through defections and coalition-building.

Analysts say the increasing involvement of smaller parties such as the ADC points to a gradual diversification of Nigeria’s political space beyond the traditional APC–PDP dominance.

The House adjourned plenary to Wednesday in honour of Kano lawmaker Hassan Danjuma, who died on April 10, 2026, at the age of 66.