The House of Representatives recorded a fresh round of defections on Wednesday, with four lawmakers joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) and one moving to the Accord Party.
The defections were formally announced during plenary after the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, read letters from the affected lawmakers notifying the House of their decisions to leave their former political parties.
The lawmakers who joined the APC are Garba Inuwa, representing Yamaltu/Deba Federal Constituency of Gombe State; Abdullahi El-Rasheed (Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency of Gombe State); Mohammed Audu, (Karim Lamido/Lau/Ardo-Kola Federal Constituency of Taraba State); and Joshua Obika, (Abuja Municipal/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Messrs Inuwa, El-Rasheed and Audu defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Mr Obika left the Labour Party (LP) to join the ruling party.
Separately, Adewale Adebayo, who represents Irepodun/Olorunda/Oshogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency of Osun State, also announced his resignation from the PDP but chose to join the Accord Party.
Reasons for defections
In separate letters addressed to the House and read by the speaker, the lawmakers cited prolonged internal crises and leadership disputes within their former parties as the main reasons for their decisions.
They said the persistent instability had weakened party structures and made it difficult for them to effectively represent the interests of their constituents.
Mr Obika, in particular, pointed to the deepening factional divisions within the Labour Party, noting that the emergence of multiple leadership camps had created uncertainty within the party.
Series to defections
Defections have become a recurring feature of Nigeria’s legislative politics, particularly during periods of internal crisis within political parties.
Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution provides that a lawmaker may lose his or her seat for defecting to another party before the expiration of the tenure. However, the provision also creates an exception where such defection is caused by a division within the political party under which the lawmaker was elected.
Lawmakers often cite this constitutional provision when explaining their decision to leave their parties.
The latest defections also reflect the continuing challenges facing opposition parties, especially the PDP and the Labour Party, which have both grappled with leadership disputes, internal wrangling and prolonged litigation in recent months.
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The PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, has experienced repeated internal disagreements over leadership positions, zoning arrangements and party strategy since the 2023 general elections.
Similarly, the Labour Party has been embroiled in leadership tussles and court battles over the legitimacy of its national leadership, leading to the emergence of rival factions within the party.
The defections further consolidate the dominance of the APC in the House of Representatives.
Before Wednesday’s development, the ruling party controlled about 241 seats in the 360-member chamber, leaving the remaining seats shared among seven opposition parties.