By Our Correspondent
In what marks one of the most significant realignments in the lower legislative chamber this year, the House of Representatives witnessed a dramatic political seismic shift on Thursday as twelve members officially announced their defection to new parties. The mass movement, which occurred during plenary, saw lawmakers abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The development, which caught many political observers by surprise, fundamentally alters the numerical strength of the various caucuses within the Green Chamber and signals deepening cracks within the opposition parties barely a year into the current legislative session.
Details of the Defections
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary session, read aloud the formal resignation and defection letters from the affected federal lawmakers. Citing constitutional provisions that permit legislators to switch parties in the event of a division or irreconcilable cracks within their former political organisations, the lawmakers officially notified the House of their decision to move to new platforms.
According to the notices presented on the floor, a substantial bloc of lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formally signalled their departure from the main opposition party. Those who exited the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) included Hon. James Barka, Hon. Laori Bitrus, Hon. Zakaria Nyampa, and Hon. Kobis Thimnu. These four legislators, who represent various federal constituencies in Adamawa State, cited the prolonged leadership crisis and factionalisation within the PDP as the primary justification for their departure.
They were joined by Hon. Midala Balami, representing a constituency in Borno State, and Hon. Mohammed Bargaja from Sokoto State, who also dumped the PDP for the APC. Their defections bring the total number of PDP lawmakers crossing to the ruling party on Thursday to six.
Labour Party Hit Hardest
The Labour Party (LP), which had a robust presence in the House following the 2023 general elections, appeared to be the hardest hit by the wave of defections. The party lost a significant number of its caucus members, primarily to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Among those who vacated the Labour Party were Hon. Afam Ogene, who represents an Anambra constituency, and Hon. Lilian Orogbu, also from Anambra State. Both lawmakers announced their decision to join the ADC. They were accompanied by Hon. Peter Aniekwe, who previously represented the Young Progressives Party (YPP) but also defected alongside the Labour Party bloc to the ADC.
The exodus from the Labour Party extended beyond the Southeast, as Hon. Jessey Onakalusi, representing a Lagos constituency, and Hon. Murphy Osaro, from Edo State, also formally quit the party. They similarly cited irreconcilable differences within the Labour Party’s structure and leadership as the catalyst for their move to the ADC.
Pending Notifications and Wednesday’s Precedent
In a further indication that the political realignment may not be complete, the Deputy Speaker also announced that eight additional lawmakers have formally notified the House of their intention to defect. However, in adherence to parliamentary protocol and procedure, Mr Kalu clarified that the letters of these members would only be read on the floor when they are physically present in the chamber to signify their personal commitment to the decision.
The list of members who have signalled their intent to defect includes Hon. Hassan Hussain (NNPP-Kano), Hon. Tijani Khali (NNPP-Kano), Hon. Muhammed Shehu (NNPP-Kano), and Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo (LP-Anambra). Their formal announcement is expected to take place at a subsequent sitting.
Thursday’s mass defection follows a similar pattern established just 24 hours prior. During Wednesday’s plenary session, the House had already witnessed the departure of three federal lawmakers. Hon. Garba Inuwa and Hon. Abdullahi El-Rasheed, both from Gombe State, alongside Hon. Mohammed Audu (PDP-Taraba), officially defected to the APC.
Furthermore, Hon. Joshua Obika, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Labour Party platform, also crossed over to the APC. In a separate move, Hon. Adewale Adebayo (PDP-Osun) opted to join the Accord Party, demonstrating that the realignments are not exclusively directional toward the ruling party but are also creating new opposition clusters.
Political Implications
The spate of defections carries profound implications for the balance of power within the House of Representatives and the broader political landscape. For the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the influx of lawmakers from the opposition strengthens its numerical dominance in the Green Chamber, potentially smoothing the path for legislative agenda and executive requests.
For the opposition parties, particularly the PDP and the Labour Party, the exits represent a significant blow to their legislative influence and caucus cohesion. The fact that lawmakers cited “irreconcilable divisions” suggests that internal party management issues may continue to plague these organisations, potentially leading to further exits in the coming weeks.
Political analysts note that while the defections are legally grounded in the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which allows lawmakers to switch parties when their original platform is in crisis, the timing and scale of the moves will undoubtedly fuel discussions about the health of multi-party democracy and internal party democracy in Nigeria.
As the House prepares for legislative business next week, all eyes will be on the eight pending defectors and whether their formal announcement will trigger a counter-reaction from the leadership of their former parties. For now, the political chessboard of the House of Representatives has been decisively reshuffled, with the APC and ADC emerging as the immediate beneficiaries of the opposition’s turmoil.
(NAN)
