Three Senators and five members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday formally defected from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), consolidating the party’s control in both chambers of the National Assembly as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
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In the Senate, Senators Amos Yohanna (Adamawa North), Aminu Iyal Abbas (Adamawa Central), and Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (Zamfara North) submitted separate letters of defection, which were read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, four lawmakers joined the APC, while one defected to the Accord Party. The APC defectors include:
- Garba Inuwa — Yamaltu/Deba, Gombe State (from PDP)
- Abdullahi El-Rasheed — Dukku/Nafada, Gombe State (from PDP)
- Mohammed Audu — Karim Lamido/Lau/Ardo-Kola, Taraba State (from PDP)
- Joshua Obika — Amac/Bwari, Federal Capital Territory (from Labour Party)
Hon. Adewale Morufu Adebayo of Irepodun/Olorunda/Oshogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency, Osun State, left the PDP to join the Accord Party.
The lawmakers attributed their defections to internal crises, leadership disputes, and factionalism within their former parties, which they said had weakened party structures and hindered effective governance. Obika specifically cited unresolved conflicts and the emergence of multiple factions within the Labour Party as reasons for his move to the APC.
The recent exodus strengthens the APC’s majority, giving the party a comfortable two-thirds control in both the Senate and the House of Representatives — a threshold critical for constitutional amendments and other key legislative business. Prior to these defections, the APC held 241 seats in the 360-member House, leaving 119 seats among seven opposition parties.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, read Obika’s letter during Wednesday’s plenary, noting his role as Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Legislative, Library Research and Documentation. Obika reaffirmed his commitment to the success of the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Mandate.
The wave of defections reflects ongoing challenges within opposition parties, including prolonged litigation, leadership tussles, and internal wrangling, which continue to drive lawmakers toward the ruling party.
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