Iliyasu S. Yahaya
Abuja, Nigeria
A strong wind of defections swept through Nigeria’s House of Representatives of Nigeria on Thursday as 12 lawmakers announced their departure from their political parties.
The defections were announced by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who disclosed that six lawmakers moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while another six left the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the Labour Party (LP) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Among those defecting from the PDP to the APC were Bamisele Komolafe, Muktar Aliyu Betara and Zakari Dauda Nyampa. Meanwhile, Peter Ifeanyi Uzokwe was announced as moving from the YPP to the ADC, while Shuaib Abiola Sowunmi was listed among lawmakers leaving the Labour Party for the ADC.
Kalu noted that some of the lawmakers were not physically present in the chamber during the announcement, explaining that their defection letters would be ceremonially read once they appear in the House.
He described the development as part of an ongoing political realignment within Nigeria’s political landscape, saying the defections reflected broader shifts in party affiliations and internal dynamics across the country.